Choosing the Right Bulbs for Fall Planting

Rose Allie stands corrected! In the ten years Rose has written this column, she has never received a call questioning her statements or point of view. Well, early this week she got a call from a friend who gently slapped her hand. In the column last week about planting seed potatoes in a big bucket so as to have new potatoes for Christmas dinner, Rose failed to mention the fact that one needs to poke holes in the bottom of that bucket for drainage, as well as putting in a layer of rocks to keep the potting soil from washing out. Rose regrets the omission and hopes you good gardeners out there have great luck with your Christmas potatoes.

Well, it’s time to start thinking about spring. What, you say?  Yep, fall is right around the corner and that means it’s time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Begin by taking a slow walk around your yard and try to envision bright spots of color where there were none before. Perhaps you already have tulips and jonquils and crocus. But I bet there are lots of appropriate places for more bulbs. And why stick with just the old favorites? Try something new and different and you might discover a new favorite.

Just a few little ideas to keep in mind: plan to plant bulbs in clusters. One bulb alone or long thin lines of single bulbs along the sidewalk are usually ineffectual. Clusters give a concentration of color for greatest impact. Even if you don’t have enough for a big bed, small clusters can make a big show.

Try a double-decker effect. You can plant small bulbs in a layer right on top of large bulbs. If you plant bulbs that flower in the same period you can create an interesting double-decker effect – picture bright pink tulips blooming above cobalt blue grape hyacinths. Or you can stagger the bloom time by planting mid- and late-season bloomers together, creating a spring display that blooms in succession throughout the whole season.

Plant low-blooming bulbs in front of high-blooming ones. This is a good general rule for bulbs that bloom at the same time. Check the labels on the bulb packages at the nursery for full-grown heights and plan your beds accordingly.

When you shop for bulbs, you’ll see some labeled as “good for naturalizing.” This means that they can be counted on to come up year after year, and spread informally throughout the area. Be sure to allow space for this habit and welcome the surprises that can occur. And speaking of surprises, critters will sometimes move bulbs for you and then you really are shocked to see a bright red tulip come up right in the middle of the front yard.

As you plan your new bulb locations and visit the nurseries with your shopping list, keep bloom times in mind so that you have color throughout the whole season, early spring till late fall. Crocus, hyacinth and daffodils bloom in early spring. In the summer, gladiolus, begonias, dahlias, iris and canna show off their colors. Late into autumn, if you have chosen the right bulbs, fall crocus, amaryllis and some lilies will give color to rival the changing leaves on the trees.

Next week, we’ll get our hands dirty with the real planting.