Selecting Summer Blooming Bulbs

Bulbs planted in spring will produce some of the most dramatic colors in your summer and fall garden. You can tuck these bulbs among your perennials to create a fuller looking bed or create a special summer bulb garden of your own. Many summer and fall blooming bulbs are ideal in containers and will liven up your porch or deck.  Summer bulbs include canna lilies, dahlias, Asiatic and Oriental lilies, gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

Asiatic lilies are the hardiest of all the lily hybrids.  If you planted some last year you may see them poking through the ground already. Once they are established in your garden, they'll produce showy blooms for many years. Asiatic lilies spread very quickly. Oriental lilies won't spread as rapidly as Asiatic lilies, but they tend to be more fragrant than. Asiatic and Oriental lilies are planted from bulbs. Before planting, amend the soil with compost and peat moss, add some Bone Meal or Dutch Bulb Food and plant the bulbs 5" to 6" deep.

Canna lilies feature attractive green, bronze or variegated foliage, in addition to their flowers.  Cannas do well in garden beds and containers. The canna “bulb” is actually a rhizome. Plant cannas about 6" deep and about 18" apart, in well-amended soil, with Bone Meal added to the planting site. Cannas need to be dug and stored after the frost kills the foliage, if you want to save them. They will not survive our winters.

Dahlias are grown from tubers and come in a wide variety of colors. Plant dahlias only as deep as the crown, in well-amended soil with a little Bone Meal in the bottom of the planting hole. Dahlias will bring color to your garden in late summer and early fall. Dahlias are tender bulbs and must be dug and stored through the winter.

For more late summer and fall color, plant Gladiolus. Gladiolus “bulbs” are called corms. Plant your corms about 3" deep and 4" to 5" apart, in soil that has been amended with peat moss and compost. Glads are also tender bulbs that must be dug and stored if you want to keep them year to year.

Tuberous begonias make incredible displays of color in a shady spot on your patio. They can be planted in containers, hanging baskets and directly in the garden. They need to be dug and stored if you want to save them for next year. Summer bulbs tend to sell out early, so it’s best to shop now to get the best selection.