© Piotr Adamczyk

Taking Care of Spring Blossoms in the Fall

© Andrey Ustuzhanin,

Spring is many months away for those of us have yet to endure the winter but who says you need to put your gardening tools away? For those who love those first few blossoms in spring, your autumn project now should include planting floral bulbs. Bulbs need to go through a cold dormant phase before they can come up and bloom in the springtime. 

Find a free area for your spring bulb garden. Use a rake or a hoe to break up the soil. There’s no need to add any fertilizer nor do you need to water the soil. It’s perfectly acceptable to plant your bulbs where other flowers or plants will later bloom. Bulbs will bloom before other plants have even begun to sprout. 

The landscaping store is where you choose from a collection of hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and narcissus. Get a variety of bulbs to choose from; you will get to create your garden with whatever you like. Spring-blooming bulbs are generally perennials. Perennials can bloom year after year using the same bulb. Read the package to see if your bulbs can remain in the ground next summer or if they need to be plucked out after they die back.

It’s better to plant all your bulbs at once because it’s hard arranging any new bulbs once you’ve started. You’ll need to look at a couple of things first. You’ll want to account for the fact that some bulbs blossom in early March and others bloom in June. Your garden will look out of balance if you don’t account for blossoming times, which are listed on the package. Pay attention to height when you arrange your bulbs. Don’t hide short crocuses behind tall tulips. 

The larger bulbs need to be planted deeper in the ground, sometimes as deep as 6-8 inches. Smaller bulbs are generally 3-4 inches deep. Plant the bulb in pre-dug holes. In most cases, the top of the bulb forms a point near the top. Plant all the bulbs and cover them at the same time. That way, you won’t be confused when you’ve buried a couple of bulbs and don’t know where you put them. 

Lightly cover the entire garden with mulch. Bulbs are hardy and will know when the longer, warmer days trigger the bulbs to begin their springtime ritual.