Bulb-planting in the fall is always an act of hope. This year, it becomes a form of therapy. When the crocuses, daffodils and tulips next flower, we will be assured of at least one thing: It won’t be 2020.
Not much is instant in the garden, but spring bulbs planted in autumn come pretty close. I can’t think of anything more forward-looking or reassuring at the moment than planting tulip bulbs.
From a practical standpoint, it’s difficult to mess up with bulbs; they are little packages programmed to grow and bloom. All they need is some moisture and the enduring cold soil of winter to shoot up and flower early next year.
Icing on the cake
Even if you ignore the earliest bloomers — the snowdrops and aconites — carefully selected bulbs can give you a show that in the mid-Atlantic begins in late February and endures until at least late May, offering three months of icing on the vernal cake.
Crocuses launch a continuous and overlapping display, followed by daffodils and tulips and alliums, or ornamental onions. This weeks-long parade is enlivened by speciality bulbs, which bloom in the following order, loosely: giant snowdrop, bulbous iris, common snowdrop, crocus, scilla, chionodoxa (glory-of-the-snow), windflower and muscari (grape hyacinth).
By variety, daffodils generally bloom from late February to late April, tulips from late March to early May, and most alliums in May to early June. Hyacinths bloom in early spring; I find them awkward in the garden but cheerful as indoor potted plants. I’ve given up on fritillaries, which are, in my experience, one-shot wonders in hot, humid regions.
My long-standing advice has been to plant far more bulbs than you think is enough, so you can create drama in the garden. (The smaller the bulb, the more you should plant.)
There are two basic ways to employ bulbs. The first is to plant in large blocks, the second to intersperse them among existing perennials. The latter course is especially effective in spring-themed beds, where bulbs pop up between such things as hellebores, epimediums, creeping phlox, foam flowers, Virginia bluebells, Solomon’s seal and ferns.
Extravagant tulip displays
In recent years, I’ve tried a different approach by finding spare beds in the vegetable garden for extravagant tulip displays. The bulbs are lifted and discarded in May, and then the beds are used for summer vegetables. By crowding the tulips together — avoid having the bulbs touch — I can take plenty for the vase without affecting the show.
If you have blocks of perennials, such as hostas or day lilies, or expansive ground covers, you can achieve the same effect of a carpet of tulips by planting densely if carefully. Otherwise, it’s a case of planting isolated clumps of spring bulbs in existing beds. The perennials, as they grow, mask the declining bulb foliage. Amid beefier perennials, you will need to plant taller bulbs, such as big daffodils and tulips and alliums, to elevate the show sufficiently.
Come spring, deer will regard tulips and crocuses as candy. Repellents will help, but the best remedy against furry invaders in fall and spring is to focus on daffodils and alliums, which both squirrels and deer find distasteful.
Here are some thoughts on planting tulips and daffodils, the two most favoured bulbs, and some general advice on planting bulbs.
Yank them after blooming
Many of the showy hybrid tulips are not reliably perennial, and those that return will probably be less vigorous. Their chances of returning are improved if they are grown in full sun and perfectly drained soil that is kept on the dry side in summer. I treat them as annual indulgences and yank them after blooming.
Dainty, bloom-rich miniature varieties work beautifully in small garden beds and in areas with low-growing ground covers. They add a cheerfulness beyond their stature, recede with more decorum than their bigger brothers and reflect the sophistication of the gardener. I put them in clumps of up to a dozen bulbs, each grouping a few feet apart. Look for Hawera, Geranium, Jetfire, Tte-a-Tte, Minnow, Sailboat and Avalanche, among others.
Most spring bulbs originate in arid regions and need well-drained conditions, especially when they are dormant in summer. They are not for soggy soil. If you have an irrigation system, your bulbs may rot away. Camassia, a native bulb, will take wetter conditions.
They also need sunlight to recharge themselves. A daffodil in partial shade will flower each year, but one in the heart of a deep woodland will peter out. For this reason, avoid beds right next to north-facing walls and fences.
Generally, larger bulbs are planted at about six inches, and smaller ones at three to five inches. You want at least three inches of soil above the top of the bulb. I plant crocus bulbs as deeply as tulips to try to thwart the squirrels.
Adrian Higgins is a columnist with an interest in gardening
Washington Post
