planting bulbs in fall part II

pictured above are 9 hardy bulbs you can plant in the fall for spring show. Most of theses are hardy from zones 4 and up (click here if you don't know your zone).

purchasing bulbs tips:

- where? You can purchase them in your local garden centers and also in a variety of on-line stores.

- check and make sure your zone is included on each varieties package or listing

- experiment with less common spring flowers like the allium, fritillari and anemone if you are tulip and daffodiled out.

planting bulb tips (see previous post for more info):

- each flower has different needs for exactly how deep they need to sit in the soil. A rule of thumb is to plant it 3-4x's as deep as the bulb is tall. Most bulbs should come with specifications on planting depths.

- bulbs go pointy side up in the soil, but if you are not sure, don't worry it will find its way up!

- clustering bulbs or planting them totally sporadic looks much better than planting them in straight lines like standing soldiers or mixing them in perfect patterns of every other with another flower.

- if you are planting a garden of more than one type of flower, make sure you take into consideration the height of each flower. Tall flowers such as allium and fritillari should be in the back and shorter varieties like muscari and crocus should be planted in front.

- spring flowers are perfect for a cutting garden. Hyacinth are my favorite to bring in for their sweet scent and fritillari are gorgeous in a vase by themselves.

- in the spring after the flowers are bloomed out, do not cut back the plants until they start to wither. The plants need to photosynthesize by soaking up sun for next years show.

so there you have it. Think of planting spring bulbs in the fall and you will be greatly rewarded for your hard work!

-christina