Beautiful Spring Bulbs

Spring is such a special time of year. We are all emerging from our winter hibernation and so are plants and flowers. There is nothing (for me at least) which makes me feel so hopeful as a bunch of cheery Crocus peeking their flowers out on a cold end-of-winter day.

So why not start to take notice of those beautiful Spring blooms and plan for Fall plantings. Your garden can be full of these beacons for Spring too.

Spring Bulbs

There is a huge variety of Spring-blooming bulbs on the market. When shopping in the Fall, it can be very overwhelming trying to decide which to choose. In addition, the photos on the packages often do not show you what the leaves and stems of the plants look like.

Take a little time this Spring and notice what these plants look like. When a group of flowering bulbs catches your eye, try to notice what the whole plant looks like. This way you can plan on what you are going to plant in your own fall garden.

• Is there a group of bulbs, or just one or two?
• What do the leaves look like? Are they as pretty as the flowers?
• Do the plants look natural?
• What colors are you enjoying the most?
• What time of Spring are they blooming?
• Do different types of bulbs look great together?
• What sort of arrangement are they planted in?
• What is surrounding the bulbs that strikes you?

Plan Ahead for Fall Planting

Fall will be here soon enough. You may find your self standing in the garden center scratching your head again, wondering which bulbs to buy for next Spring.

If you do a little bit of homework this Spring, you will have an easy job of deciding which bulbs to buy in the fall for planting and how much to buy. You will also have a better idea of when your favorite bulbs will be in bloom and what will look good with them.

Crocus

Crocus are early Spring blooming bulbs. They will often peek their heads out of low snow drifts. They are low growing and easy to care for, as are most bulbs.

Crocus come in a variety of colors, including purple, white and yellow. They are low growing and make cheerful ground cover or clusters.

Daffodils

Daffodils are beautiful Spring blooming bulbs. They come in a large variety of colors and type. The classic daffodil is a yellow flower on top of a slender stalk.

Today, you will find Daffodils in many varieties. There are double Daffodils, which have twice as many petals and are just lovely. They come in pinks, yellows and white.

Tulips

Tulips are another classic Spring blooming bulb. They come in a wide range of varieties and colors. You can buy Tulips in almost any color from white to back. They also come in the double variety.

This Spring, notice the way tulips are planted. Tulips have broad, long leaves. Once the flowers die back, the foliage will begin to brown and shrivel. You may want to think about planting something next to them that will help to camouflage the dying leaves. Just make sure that you don't cut off the leaves as they die back. The bulbs will need them to make nutrients for next year.

Hyacinth

Hyacinth are gorgeous bulbs to keep an eye out for. They tend to bloom in mid to late Spring. They are somewhat low growing and extremely fragrant. So, you will want to have them where they can really be noticed.

They have short somewhat thick stems and clusters of florets. They have broad dark green leaves. Hyacinth will look great planted near by Crocus bulbs, as they will bloom after the Crocus have finished.

Hostas

Hostas are great companion plants for bulbs. Hostas are low growing plants that do well in the shade. They have broad leaves and come in a variety of shapes and colors.

Often, Hostas will emerge as bulbs are dying back and are starting to wither and brown. The emerging Hosta leaves will help to hide the leaves of the bulbs as they wither away.

Also, Hosta are shade or part-shade loving. As the trees start to fill out with leaves, the spot that the bulbs are in may no longer be as sunny as it was and can be perfect for Hostas.

Be An Expert

You may want to jot down a couple of notes. By Fall, you may just have other things on your mind and forget which bulbs you had planned on purchasing.

Keep your eyes peeled, and soon you will be an expert. You will get ideas from other gardens on what will look fantastic in yours. You never know where your next bit of inspiration will come from.