Planting Spring Flower Bulbs

Planting spring flower bulbs exuberantly heralds the end of winter with bright blasts of color like fireworks in slow motion. When we squirrel away these gems in the fall, we almost forget about them. Then they pleasantly surprise us as they emerge the following spring when everything else is still drab and barren.

Versatile as well as beautiful, spring bulbs add early color anywhere from perennial beds to meadows to containers. Use them in cutting gardens, naturalized areas, borders, formal gardens or even in the lawn. Consider colors, heights, bloom time and sun or shade when designing your bulb garden. Also use bulbs that grow well in your hardiness zone it for best results. Then go shopping at your favorite garden center, browse a mail order catalogue or check out the offerings online.

Arranging bulbs
Bulbs look best when planted in groups of 7 to 12 or more. Don't mix more than two colors of one kind of bulb together as it often ends up looking disappointingly muddled unless very carefully planned. For a colorful combination, interplant taller bulbs with spring annuals such as forget-me-nots and pansies. Keep your bulb display going all spring by planting early, midseason and late varieties.

Planting bulbs
Plant bulbs six to eight weeks before the ground freezes to give them time to grow some roots before winter sets in. Exactly when this is depends on your area, but usually it's sometime between September and October. Most bulbs prefer well-drained soil, so mix some compost or peat with a little fertilizer into the soil before planting. Scatter the bulbs from your hand and plant them where they fall for a natural look. For more formal displays, plant them in staggered rows. As a rule of thumb, plant bulbs to the depth of about two to three times their diameter; for example, plant a three-inch bulb six to nine inches deep. A trowel marked with inches makes this easy. Place bulbs pointy side up and cover them with soil. Then just water well and wait till spring.

Deterring pests
Bulbs have relatively few disease and insect problems. However, keeping the neighborhood squirrels and chipmunks away is another story. To deter them from digging up your newly planted bulbs, plant them slightly deeper than recommended, to about 10 or 12 inches. This also makes it easier to plant annuals over the bulbs without accidentally digging them up. Make sure to water the area thoroughly after planting to settle the disturbed earth (a dead giveaway to rodents looking for a snack). The resulting muddiness also deters digging animals. Screens or netting over the area helps too. Avoid planting appetizing bulbs, such as tulips and crocus. Instead, use bulbs such as daffodils, scilla and hyacinth, which don't tempt the animals as much.

Take some time this fall to bury these garden treasures. The delayed gratification is well worth the wait and reminds us that a little work today pays big dividends later. Once planted, your bulbs will continue to reward you with a spectacular springtime show year after year.

Try planting these easy and beautiful but less commonly planted bulbs this fall:

• Allium spp, Ornamental onion. They need full sun and come in a wide range of varieties.

• Chionodoxa luciliae, Glory-of-the-Snow. It tolerates sun to light shade and is an early bloomer.

• Fritillaria spp, Fritillary. They tolerate full sun to part shade and are tall and dramatic but have an unpleasant scent.

• Galanthus nivalis, Snowdrop. It prefers part shade and, as the name suggests, it comes only in shades of white.

• Muscari latifolium, Grape Hyacinth. It likes full sun and comes in shades of blues and violets.

• Puschkinia scilloides, Striped Squill. It tolerates full sun to light shade and is most attractive when massed in drifts.

• Scilla sibirica, Siberian squill. It is very tolerant of shade and can spread quickly.