I can’t imagine a garden without the early spring blooms of bulbs such as crocus, snowdrops, hyacinth, daffodils, tulips and more! In late spring, the alliums and ornithogalum shine next to my early perennials. All during the spring months, as I watch each different bulb type emerge and bloom in succession, I visualize ways in which to add more beautiful bulbs to my gardens.
LET IT BE
It’s late June and all that remains of my beautiful spring bulb display is yellowing, tattered foliage. As difficult as it is to leave this withered mess untouched, bulbs need the energy stored in their foliage to produce blooms for next spring. Never cut, tie or braid bulb foliage but allow the plants to complete their growth cycle as undisturbed as possible. Be patient for in a few short
PLAN AHEAD
While you can still see where your bulbs grow, it’s a good time to think about what you want your garden to look like next spring. Would you like to plant more of a certain bulb variety or try something new? Do you have a color scheme in mind? Take a walk around the garden with a notebook and write down where you’d like to add more bulbs and what types. It’s also great to take pictures so you’ll have a visual aid when fall planting season comes along. If you could use more height and drama in your spring display, try some tall alliums. If you’d like to cover a lot of ground, early bulbs like snow glories (
MARK THE SPOT
Here’s an easy tip for helping with new bulb placement near existing plantings when you want to add more of a good thing. This year, for instance, I’ll be adding more allium christophii in a garden where some have already been planted. When the foliage is almost gone on my current plants, I’ll “mark” the spot with a rock. In the fall when my new bulbs arrive, it will be easy for me to find where the alliums are already planted and, by doing this, I can avoid disturbing the older bulbs while adding the new bulbs around them. By the way, the giant seed heads of allium christophii can remain in the garden for weeks after blooming, thus extending their season even longer.
PLANT OUT OF SEASON
Although fall is prime time for bulb planting, there are circumstances when we may have to plant bulbs out of season. When we’re left with large clumps of daffodils or hyacinth which have stopped blooming because they’ve become overcrowded, it’s time to dig them up and separate the bulbs into smaller plantings. Also, after several seasons, some bulbs may spread too far beneath surrounding perennials where they can’t get enough sunlight; these stragglers should be moved for optimum blooms next spring.
Whatever the reason, there will come a time when you need to dig up and move bulbs. However, if you wait until fall to perform this task, it will be hard to find your bulbs which by then will be well hidden beneath the earth and covered by other plants. In this case, to avoid digging blind come October, wait until the foliage has almost completely died back in early summer and then carefully dig around the clump of bulbs. Lift them up, separate them into smaller groups and relocate the bulbs to other areas where they can spread out to bloom again. Put a little bulb food in the new hole and water after planting to help them settle in. The remaining foliage will disappear almost overnight so mark the spot or take a photo if you need to remember where you’ve already planted.
SHOP EARLY
It’s hard to think of fall planting when summer has only just begun, but in the gardening world we have to plan ahead and that means shopping early for our spring bulbs. There are so many wonderful bulb websites and catalogs to browse through, it’s easy to create the perfect spring bulb garden for next year. Order now for fall planting so you’ll be sure to get the varieties you want before they’re sold out. It’s always a pleasant surprise to get a box of bulbs in the mail come fall!
For more on planning a spring bulb garden, click on this informative link:
https://www.longfield-gardens.com/article/How-To-Plan-A-Spring-Bulb-Garden
DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links to the companies listed below. When you click through on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank You!