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. 

Time to plant colorful Perennials

One of the keys to planting perennials early is to make sure they've been properly prepared to handle  spring's diverse weather conditions. This process is called hardening off and involves gradually conditioning plants to outdoor temperatures, light and wind. Hardening off also reduces the shock plants experience when they're taken from their nursery pot and planted in the ground. The process is easy, but it takes time.

In the case of these perennials and shrubs, they've been hardened off and are ready to go into the ground now.  After the storm passes, the weather will warm up and the soil will dry out.

How can you tell if the soil is dry enough to dig in? Squeeze a handful. If it stays in a clump, it's still too wet. If it crumbles, it's dry enough to plant in. Amend your planting spot with compost and peat moss.

Add some Root Stimulator and you're ready to plant perennials such as:

Columbine aquilegia 'Winky Double Red & White',

'Daring Do' a dwarf bearded iris that blooms now and then reblooms later in the season

Long-blooming hardy geraniums grow very quickly in full sun 

Dianthus 'Everlast™ Orchid' 

English Daisies have long been popular as spring bedding plants. They will do well anywhere in the garden or in containers;

Primrose and many others can all be planted now. Don't overlook hardy bulbs such as asiatic and oriental lilies. These bulbs will add summer and fall color to your garden for many seasons to come.

Hops don't add much color but these quick growing vines can provide a background for your more colorful perennials. Early spring is a great time to plant colorful perennials. Wait for the soil to dry out, add some amendments to the planting area, feed with Root Stimulator and your spring perennials will be off to a good start.