Now ’s the Time to Plan Your Summer Bulb Garden

Warm season bulbs will produce some of the most dramatic garden color with minimal effort. These bulbs are very versatile. You can tuck them among your perennials to create a fuller looking bed or create a special summer bulb garden. Summer blooming bulbs are ideal in containers and will liven up your porch or deck all season long.  Summer blooming bulbs include canna lilies, dahlias, Asiatic and Oriental lilies, gladiolus and tuberous begonias, as well as freezia, caladium, calla lilies, and sparaxis.  

 

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 a rhizome.   

 

Dahlias are grown from tubers and come in a wide variety of colors. Dahlias will bring color to your garden in late summer and early fall. Dahlia blooms are especially attractive to pollinators.  

 

For more late summer and fall color, plant Gladiolus. Glads offer height and color to your landscape.  

 

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.  

 

Asiatic lilies are the hardiest of all the summer bulbs.   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 will generally survive the winter. Oriental lilies won't spread as rapidly as Asiatic lilies, but they tend to be more fragrant.  

 

Except for Asiatic lilies, summer blooming bulbs are not hardy in our gardening zone. If you want to save them year after year, they must be dug up in the fall and stored through the winter. The other option is to treat these warm season bulbs as annuals and replace them every year.  

 

That said, bulbs planted in late spring will produce some of the most dramatic colors in your summer and fall garden.  

When it comes to location, dahlias, gladiolas, Asiatic lilies and cannas grow well when planted in full sun. Caladiums will do better when they’re planted in a spot where they’ll receive morning sun and afternoon shade. Same with calla lilies and sparaxis. 

 

 

Summer bulbs tend to sell out early, so it’s best to shop now to get the best selection.