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| Photo Credit: Felder Rushing |
| Fall-planted bulbs can bring color and cheer to any early spring garden. |
My tiny Mississippi cottage garden is overstuffed with plants of all descriptions. (I’m just one of those kinds of garden nuts.) But no matter how packed my garden gets, there’s always room for more bulbs!
It’s not that bulbs are afterthoughts. It’s just that most are fairly small, and usually highly seasonal, so it’s easier to tuck them here and there. And I always include them when I work up my potted plant combinations – spring bloomers in fall containers, summer bloomers in…well, you get it. Now that fall’s arrived, it’s the perfect time of year for planting winter- and spring-flowering bulbs, from one-shot tulips and long-lived fragrant daffodils to the “painted arum” (a fantastic Southern winter foliage bulb that’s a summer plant up North). | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Felder Rushing | | In the South, ‘Pictum’ painted arum has fantastic winter foliage and interesting spring flowers. |
But no matter how alluring bulb descriptions are, the fact is that not all bulbs do well in the Southeast. Some, including tulips, do much better in colder climates and fail to set flower buds in our mild winters. But you can get around nature at least for one year by pre-chilling tulip bulbs in the refrigerator (six weeks is what most tulips require). You also have to keep an eye on borderline-hardy tropical bulbs, such as Amaryllis. These beauties can get caught by sudden freezes in our roller-coaster winter weather, so it’s a good idea to grow them in pots that can be brought in during extreme weather.
Rather than experimenting with what works best (and doesn’t), try sticking with the tried-and-true for starters. Here’s just a few of them to get your spring-blooming garden going: - Daffodils (Narcissus)
- Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum; plant in front of other bulbs, or naturalize in the lawn)
- Grecian windflower (Anemone)
- Chives and garlic chives (Allium sp.; winter foliage)
- Snowflake (Leucojum; often mistakenly called snowdrops)
- Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum; for naturalizing in lawns)
- Camassia (Camassia)
- Crocus (Crocus)
- Painted arum (Arum italicum; great winter foliage)
- Wood hyacinth (Hyacinthoides hispanica)
- Oxalis (Oxalis)
Once you’ve picked out your spring or winter bloomers, keep things simple. It doesn’t really matter whether they’re bulbs, corms, tubers or rhizomes. Forget quibbling over botanical plant types - fact is, they’re all grown pretty much alike. The main thing you have to figure out is whether they prefer sun or shade, if they tolerate heavy or wet soils, or if they like to be on the dry side.
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| Facts |
- If you over-plant bulbs with winter annuals such as Johnny jump-ups, pansies or the like, you need to select simple combinations of contrasting colors – otherwise you’re bulbs will likely get lost in the kaleidoscope.
- Not all bulbs grow well in the South, and experimenting with what works (and doesn’t) can be costly. If you fall in love with an unfamiliar bulb, contact your local county extension service office and talk it over with Master Gardener volunteers, or consult Southern gardening books for tips on growing it in this part of the country.
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| Tips |
- Right now garden centers and Internet mail-order gardening sites are bursting at the seams with spring bulbs to plant this season. And don’t forget about the older yards with plenty of hardy bulbs ready to be dug and shared. It’s time to get on it!
- Whether you plant bulbs in pots, flower beds or naturalize them under trees and in the lawn, choose those that make you happy. Be sure to include at least two or three hardy kinds, as well as a few tulips and other one-shot beauties. Before long, you’ll have a nice collection to enjoy and share for years to come.
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| Faqs |
- Q: When’s a good time to move or divide my bulbs?
A: In general, you can dig, move and divide bulbs any time you want to – but if you move flowering bulbs while in full bloom, they’ll probably skip a year before flowering again. Unless you move entire clumps without dividing them or disturbing their roots too much, it’s better to dig bulbs when their foliage first starts coming up in the fall, or wait six weeks or so after flowering – after their late spring leaves start to turn yellow and flop over.
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