Most people associate “bulbs” with “spring.” But when the tulips and daffodils fade, a whole new flower show is just around the corner. Summer- and autumn-blooming bulbs blend eye-catching color and striking plant forms to create beautiful mid- and late-season beds and borders.

Pathways with seating areas and edges along fences are ideal locations to plant tall, blooming summer bulbs like gladiolus.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Canna is a tender summer bulb with tropical flair.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Oriental lilies bloom from late summer into autumn.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Autumn crocus gives a lasting salute to autumn long after the late-summer heat has exhausted most other flowers in landscape beds and borders.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Cyclamen is an excellent choice for both outdoor plantings and indoor containers.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Whether you dress up a mixed-bed planting of shrubs with daylilies, grow a stunning stand of lilies or dahlias, or create a flowering border of gladiolus, summer bulbs are sure to draw attention to your landscape. And when those flowers fade, you can be sure autumn bloomers are getting ready for action.

Summer bloomers

Summer bulbs are available in garden centers and nurseries for planting in spring. They develop and bloom after moisture and rising temps trigger their growth. In mild-winter climates, some hardy varieties are perennial, increasing their numbers and their floral display as the seasons pass. In cold-winter climates many summer – and autumn – bulbs require lifting and storage before replanting in spring.

Hardy summer bulbs include daylily, wild ginger, iris, lapeirousia, true lily, lords-and-ladies, montbretia, ornamental onion, star grass, windflower, and wood sorrel. They should be set into the garden in spring, soon after the soil becomes workable. (To be certain, wait until the air temperature remains consistently above 60 degrees F for at least 10 days before planting either summer or autumn bulbs.)

Tender summer bulbs are more numerous, and their ranks number some of the most beautiful summer flowers, namely tuberous begonia, caladium, calla lily, canna, dahlia, gladiolus, summer hyacinth, wild hyacinth, ranunculus, Mexican shellflower, Mexican tuberose and some of the tropical lilies. For most tender varieties, the ground should be thoroughly warmed – at least 55 degrees F – before you plant them outdoors. Get a jump on the season by raising these tender beauties in a cold frame or greenhouse protected from frost at night, or in a sunny indoor window.

Because many summer bulbs grow from rhizomes, tubers and tuberous roots, they multiply quickly to form colonies well-suited to landscape gardens. Daylily, iris, and lily-of-the-Nile can more than double in a season, offering you a chance to create new colonies. Some summer bulbs are of small stature and work well as flowering groundcovers; others grow tall and stately. A few species – like caladium, elephant’s-ear and taro – are prized for distinctive, lush foliage, which adds depth and texture of near-tropical proportions.

Remember to thoroughly water new summer bulb plantings in order to restore moisture, compact the soil around the bulbs, and trigger the end of dormancy. Apply mulch to the planting area to provide a neat appearance, retain moisture, insulate the soil, and block weed germination.

Autumn bloomers

Autumn usually signals the start of a time of rest in a garden whose flowering season has ended. Fortunately, pretty fall-blooming bulbs stand ready with colorful flowers that fit the season and fill the empty spaces in beds where our annual flowers and spring bulbs once bloomed.

Like summer bulbs, autumn-blooming bulbs arrive at garden centers and nurseries in spring, and they should be planted in spring as well, after the soil has warmed. (Marking their planting site will help you locate them and avoid overplanting with perennial flowers and shrubs.)

Fall bulbs can be used throughout the landscape. Short species are best used as a border edging, while tall varieties provide a surprise focal point. Some of the tallest autumn bulbs put on quite a show, with blooms that stand high atop barren stalks long after their foliage has disappeared.

Your choices for attractive fall bulbs are many, including hardy begonia, autumn crocus, autumn cyclamen, lily-of-the-field, lords-and-ladies, naked-lady, rain lily and autumn snowflake. Hardy begonia is actually a half-hardy perennial that tolerates climates with winter temperatures down to about 0 degrees F. In areas with colder winters, hardy begonias should be lifted in late autumn and their tubers stored in a cold, dry spot. They bloom from midsummer through late autumn.

Autumn cyclamen flowers are commonly deep pink, rarely white, and the plant sprouts wide, toothed leaves similar to maple or ivy. Look for the first blooms in late summer. Lords-and-ladies (or Arum) are shade-loving tubers related to jack-in-the-pulpit. Their oval leaves mask stout shoots bearing colorful clusters of surprising berrylike fruit in autumn that began with calla-like blossoms in spring.