Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Planting Bulbs - A Fall Chore for Spring Blooms

Bulbs are wonderful. You plant them once, and they just keep coming back year after year bringing their joy to the garden. With very little care, they will multiply and spread. Over the years as they multiply, you can dig some up and plant them in other areas. This year I've decided to plant more flowers near the vegetable garden. I sowed wildflower seeds in an empty area next to one bed. Sweet peas are popping up in a few places, and today I planted these bulbs. By the time I finally got to the nursery to buy some bulbs, there was only a small selection left. Luckily these pink freesia, white narcissus and yellow Dutch iris are a lovely combination. 

I wanted to plant some bulbs in front of my plumeria since it will be dormant for a period. 
We will have to wait to see if the bulbs bloom while the plumeria is dormant or not. I planted the three types of bulbs together, and grouped them in several places around the backyard. I'm excited to see the pop of color here and there around the yard. 

Here are some tips for planting bulbs.

Dig up the soil to loosen it, add some compost.
Adding bulb food will help to produce the best blooms.
Arrange the bulbs taking care to plant them the depth recommended on the planting instructions. I made an effort to scatter the bulbs randomly rather than spacing them equally. 
This will make the flowers look more natural. Don't crowd the bulbs. Leave space between them because after the bulb blooms, it will produce more bulbs so you want to leave space for the new bulbs. Cover the bulbs with dirt and water them. 

For years to come, I hope to enjoy the combination of pink, yellow and white flowers each spring.
For now, I'll just have to use my imagination.



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