Plant Bulbs in Fall and Reap the Benefits in Spring.
I don't know about you, but when winter's snows start to recede, I want color on my landscape immediately! This can be accomplished by incorporating spring bulb plants in your landscape design. But when do you plant spring bulb plants? Well, you can't wait till spring to plant these bulbs; you have to plant them in fall, according to the zone in which you live:
- Zone 2-3 plant in September
- Zone 4-5 plant in October
- Zone 6-7 plant in November
- Zone 8-9 plant in December.
Crocuses: reach only 3"-5" in height, so plant them en masse for best effect (say, 100 to 150 of their bulbs, or "corms" planted together). These early bloomers naturalize very easily. Their blooms open up when its sunny, then pucker up when the sunlight retreats. The foliage of crocuses is a blade-shaped leaf with a silvery stripe down its middle.
Daffodils:Yellow daffodils are one of the most popular bulb plants of spring. In addition to their beauty, a selling point for daffodils is that squirrel pests tend not to eat them (squirrels will dig up and eat tulip bulbs and crocus corms); squirrels may, however, dislodge your daffodils.
Another selling point for daffodils is their longevity. The growth of some bulb plants peters out over the years, and the plants die off. But through bulb division and seed production, your daffodils should spread as time goes by. Daffodils can be grown just about anywhere in Canada and the U.S., except for some areas in the extreme South.
Because they are early bloomers, daffodils can be grown under deciduous trees. Daffodils get enough sun in the spring (before the trees leaf out) to grow and acquire the nutrients they need for the growing season. But don't plant daffodils under evergreen trees, since the latter cast shade during the entire year and would deprive your daffodils of the necessary springtime sunlight.
Resist the temptation to cut back the plants' foliage after the daffodil flowers have faded and died. As long as the foliage stays green, your daffodils are sending nutrients to the bulbs underneath them. These nutrients will be important for the next year's growth. But when the foliage begins to turn yellow, you can cut it off.
“White Daffodil”:Are you're wondering, what the difference between 'daffodil' flowers and 'narcissus' flowers?" Here's how to best answer that question:
The word Narcissus is the Latin or botanical name for all daffodils, just as ilex is for hollies. Daffodil is the common name for all members of the genus Narcissus, and its use is recommended by the ADS at all times other than in scientific writing."
The same organization also explains how "jonquil" flowers differ from "daffodil" flowers:
"As a rule, but not always, jonquil species and hybrids are characterized by several yellow flowers, strong scent, and rounded foliage."
Another term you'll hear is "Paperwhites." Paperwhites are also part of the genus, Narcissus and may also be referred to simply as white "daffodil" flowers.
Tulips: Like daffodils, scilla, grape hyacinth, hyacinth, allium and crocus, tulips are spring-blooming bulbs. All the bulbs in this group should be planted in the ground in autumn (zones 2-8), about a month before the soil starts to freeze. That means planting in September for zones 2-3; October in zones 4-5; November in zones 6-7; and December in zone 8. Spring-blooming bulbs have a chilling requirement, and the ensuing cold weather is critical to their development. Also critical to success in growing tulips is good drainage in your soil.
Scilla:Very much like it counterpart tulips, daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, snowdrops, etc., blue scilla bulb plants brighten any garden with spring cheer. The stems of blue scilla bulb plants (Scilla siberica) bear blooms while still on the short side. In a flag-raising ceremony conducted by Mother Nature herself, as the stem pushes up to its mature height (about 8"), the bloom is hoisted aloft.
Hyacinth: Common hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), whose flowers open fully and look like little starfish, should not be confused with common grape hyacinth flowers (Muscari botryoides). Common grape hyacinth bears tight blooms in a raceme resembling clusters of grapes. Both are spring-blooming bulb plants. Grape Hyacinth:Picture of common grape hyacinth flowers (Muscari botryoides). Common grape hyacinth bears tight blooms in a raceme resembling clusters of grapes. Common grape hyacinth should not be confused with common hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), whose flowers open fully and look like little starfish. Both are spring-blooming bulb plants.