Plant These Bulbs for Early Spring Color

While tulips are the mainstays of the flowering garden in April and May, there is a group of bulbs that bloom much earlier in the season. Planting these bulbs now will extend the bloom season in your landscape from late winter into early spring.  These bulbs are perfect for planting in groups as well as mixing and matching and will provide a welcome sight in early spring, often blooming through the snow.  

Brightly colored crocus blooms are followed in succession by dwarf iris, grape hyacinths, regular hyacinths, and early daffodils. 

Crocuses are the first of the bulbs to bloom, adding bright, bold color to the very early spring landscape. Crocuses prefer direct sun and thrive in sites that get at least 6–8 hours a day.  They offer support for early foragers.

Muscari, known as grape hyacinths, are hardy spring bloomers that produce blue or purple flowers that look like bunches of grapes, hence the common name. They will do well in sun or semi-shade and over time will spread naturally.

As an accent bloom, petite dwarf iris will add low-growing color to the front of a border planting. Iris Reticulata, Sapphire Beauty and Katherine Hodgkin are just a few of the miniature or dwarf iris available to plant now.

 

 

Available in a variety of colors, regular hyacinths bring height as well as fragrance to the early garden. Plant them in full sun to partial shade.

Early blooming daffodils such as Rip van Winkle offer their own distinct color and form, making them a popular choice for early spring blooms.

 All of these bulbs are hardy in our gardening zone, meaning they will survive our winters and bloom season after season, with just a little care.  

 Regardless of the variety of bulbs you choose, all bulbs will do best when planted in well-amended soil, in a sunny spot in the garden. In our area, well-amended soils are achieved when locally produced, organic products are added to the existing soil.  

Once the soil is prepared, dig in some Dutch Bulb Food. Added at planting time, this fertilizer will improve rooting and bulb growth. When it comes to planting, a good rule of thumb is to plant bulbs to a depth of three times their height.

 

A one-inch crocus bulb should be buried flat side down, three inches deep, as measured from the shoulder. You can vary the bloom time by the depth you plant each bulb. Shallow planted bulbs will bloom earlier; deeper bulbs will bloom later in the season. The risk with planting too shallow is the bulb may not survive the winter. Another trick to control bloom time is to add two or three inches of mulch to the bed. This will keep the ground cold and slow bloom time.  

For best effect, early bulbs should be planted in clusters, not lined out in rows.  Check on your bulbs through the winter. They should be watered every four to five weeks, along with the rest of the trees and shrubs in your landscape.   

 

Bulbs planted now will produce blooms the first year, helping bridge the gap between winter and traditional spring-blooming bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. 

  

If you have questions regarding selecting and planting bulbs, stop in the store. We'll be glad to help you.