This time of year, we encourage you to take a few minutes, think about spring color, and plant fall bulbs! This is a small effort yet will pay off in the spring with colorful and cheerful blooms that look stunning, especially after Ohio’s dreary winters.
In our world of “instant everything,” it is hard to understand that the life cycle of tulip, daffodil, and other spring blooming bulbs cannot be rushed. Some bulbs we all know and recognize, though there are several other choices that provide unique color and interest. Yes, it requires a little work now, but they are a welcome sight in early spring and a great addition to spring flowering shrubs.
Tips for Planting Bulbs in Fall:
It is best to plant your bulbs in fall. Get them soon so you have a wide selection and can take advantage of warmer days when planting in late October. Bulbs require 10 – 12 weeks of cold temperatures for the roots to grow and buds to develop.
If your yard is prone to animals browsing around, it is best to plant daffodils rather than tulips.
If you are tired of yellow flowers, know that daffodils also come in varying shades of white, pinks and oranges. Some prolific blooming varieties of Daffodils are Ice Follies or dwarf daffodils, named Tete’tete. The dwarf varieties make a beautiful border when planted along the edge of a bed.
Bulb Design Tips:
Your bulbs will look more important when they are planted together in groups of 50 or more—much like you would plant annuals. Consider early and late bloom times for various varieties so you can extend the season. Plant winter pansies with tulips and allium in a border near your front door or walkway. They are always such a delight to see in March and April.
Double peony flowering tulips last a long time. They open wide like a peony during the day & then close at night, reopening the next day. Their large flowers are stunning.
Alliums provide drama and grace to perennial gardens. The flowers are big balls of lavender blooms on sturdy and graceful stems. They have an added benefit of being deer resistant. They naturalize and multiply easily so the first year you will have a few and the next year you’ll have even more.
Daffodils are more common, though they are great for naturalizing which means they can be scattered in an open area and will come back year after year. Not all daffodils are yellow, so consider a mixture or white ones. Most importantly they are deer resistant and generally critter resistant because they have a very bitter taste to animals.
Hyacinths add wonderful fragrance and unlike when you have a pot indoors they are very long lasting. Plant them near an entrance and their fragrance will greet you every time. They are available in beautiful blue flowers as well as other pastel colors.
Tulips are always a favorite with their bold colorful beautiful blooms. Consider trying a double peony flowering type of tulip—generally longer lasting and they add nice texture to the garden with many petals that open and close with changing temperatures.
Snow Drops are one of the first bulbs to bloom after the winter—and like their name, they often peek through the melting snow. Their delicate drop like blooms are a welcome sight in the spring. Plant these small flowers in close view because they are too small to be seen from afar.
Crocus are small bulbs that not only provide winter garden color, but they naturalize, meaning that they spread and come back year after year—with minimum care—for an ever-larger display. As a bonus, deer, squirrels, and rabbits rarely bother early little bulbs.
Call our helpful staff at M.J. Design to schedule your bulb planting this fall! 614.873.7333