Bulbs, tubers, and corms can provide color in your garden almost all year round. Snowdrops, aconites, and tiny irises appear in late winter, followed in early spring by cheerful daffodils and narcissus, hyacinths and tulips in almost every color. In late spring, fritillaries, bluebells, lilies-of-the-valley, irises and alliums come. Summer brings lilies, and gladiolus. In fall, come dahlias and nerines. Plants spring bloomers in spring.
- Purchase bulbs from a reputable dealer. Bargain plants may fail to sprout or bloom. Good quality bulbs are free of soft spots and other blemishes. Most undersized bulbs will not bloom well.
- Check with a local nursery for the best time to plant bulbs in your region. Warm climate gardeners who want to plant spring blooming bulbs will need to purchase special pre-chilled bulbs.
- Plant bulbs as soon as possible after purchasing them so they will not dry out Plant bubs in groups for the best effect; never plant them in rows. Bulbs also appreciate good drainage, so it’s ideal to plant them in a slope, in sandy soil, or in well-drained raised beds.
- Do not cut down the foliage after spring bulbs have finished blooming. Allow it to “ripen,” since the browning foliage replaces the bulb for the next year. Once the foliage pulls off with little resistance, you can remove it.
- Dig up most summer blooming bulbs (except hardy lilies) each fall in all but the warmest areas of the U.S. First cut back the foliage to an inch or two. Then brush soil off the bulbs and roots, but don’t wash them. Store the bulbs in a very cool (45˚ to 50˚F), dry location in a paper bag or cardboard box full of vermiculite or slightly moist sphagnum peat moss In the spring, replant them.
