| Dan Parratt handles the drill auger for planting bulbs as Jo Anne Searle assists at Simpson Garden Park. (Photos courtesy of Charlie Harper) |
Close your eyes and imagine a lovely spring morning. There’s a sharp nip in the air, but the chance of
snow is pretty much passed for the year. The stunning parade of early, spring flowers has begun!
That dream can come true, if you plant some spring flowering bulbs in the next couple of months, before
the ground freezes. Yes, now is the time to purchase and plant those bulbs. You know you’ve been wanting
to have some in your garden for years, so why not give it a go?
A number of spring bulbs are quite easy to grow, in virtually any garden. My favorites are the perennial
tulips and daffodils. There just aren’t any easier plants to grow than these. They can be planted in a
sunny or a shady location, they are not very picky about the soil type, and they will divide and produce
new bulbs and flowers each year.
Planting bulbs
Planting them can be accomplished several different ways. If you are only planting 10 or 12, a garden
trowel will work well. Just dig a hole down 8 to 10 inches, place a bulb with the pointed end up, in the
hole and cover it up. You may add bulb fertilizer before refilling the hole. If you have a humus rich
soil, it will not be necessary, though. If you are planting in heavy clay or sandy soil, improving the
soil with mulch or compost will improve the growth and flowering.
If you are planting a larger number, you can make the job easier by getting a garden auger, designed for
use on an electric drill. In a few moments, you can drill a hole large enough to slip the bulb in. Ten
garden volunteers using garden augers, planted several thousand bulbs at Simpson Garden Park in a couple
of hours. Check your garden supply store for this handy implement. If you’d rather just use a shovel, it
is faster to clear the soil from the entire area where you want to plant, down to 10". The bulbs
can then be placed at random in the depression and covered over with the soil you removed. Whichever
method you chose, finish up by patting the soil down firmly and watering thoroughly. That sounds pretty
easy, now, doesn’t it?
| Tulips in vibrant bloom |
| A typical garden with daffodils accented with cherry blooms |
| Tahiti daffodils in bloom |
Other tips
Here are some other things to keep in mind that will provide you with years of returning flowers. First,
your spring flowers will appear the same place in your garden or yard each year. (Mentioning this may
seem ridiculously obvious, but you’ll be surprised how flowering bulbs can be forgotten after they’ve
bloomed and the leaves have died.) You can put later blooming types of flowers in around them to produce
a continuous display of blooms through the summer and fall.
Second, you should allow the leaves to die completely before removing them. It is tempting to cut them
back after the blooms are gone, especially when the leaves start looking a bit raggedy. The longer you
leave them, the more energy they will produce and store in the bulb for next year’s flower production.
Tulip talk
There are a couple of things to emphasize about tulips. Most tulips are not true hardy perennials. They
will bloom well the first year, but diminish rapidly over the next couple of years, ultimately
disappearing from your garden. Look for those which are identified as "perennial tulips." They
will come back strongly year after year.
Second, if you live in a place with many squirrels, gophers or other burrowing critters, you may want to
plant something other than tulips. They seem to be tasty to these mammals that dig the bulbs up for
dinner, or eat them from below. Rabbits also favor a side dish of tulip buds and petals. If this
applies, try something else.
Other bulbs
There are a number of other spring flowering bulbs that you can use instead of or in addition to tulips
and daffodils. Happily, virtually all have the same requirements for planting and care. The planting
depths vary by bulb type, so check the directions provided in the packaging. A note of caution about
Hyacinths; many are allergic to the bulb or its juice, so wear gloves when you handle them.
Final thoughts
Where can you buy spring bulbs? The common varieties are available at local nurseries and garden supply
stores. If you want to explore the myriad of varieties available, you’ll have to do some web surfing.
You will be astounded at the sizes, colors and shapes available! Check some of the specialty bulb
suppliers, such as Brecks, Dutch Bulbs, John Scheepers, Inc. or Brent and Becky’s Bulbs.
Whichever way you go, plan on having handfuls of cut flowers to take inside when you’ll most appreciate
them.
