We love spring at Green Collar Landscaping. For us Hamiltonians, the dark, frigid winter has disappeared, Mr. Sun is smiling down on us, and the sweet smell of regrowth is in the air.
But hold on…there’s one last hurdle before full bloom.
Early spring has that drab brown-grey dull transition lull before the vivacious growing season.
March to May (sometimes more and sometimes less) is a gamble; Mother Nature is preoccupied with creating new growth, but it’s not yet very vibrant, and that makes for boring gardens. So, we patiently wait for the bloom of our favorite season. Thank goodness, we have a sneaky little trick to beat these dark days: bulbs.
Bulbs are quite possibly the most valuable and practical ‘back pocket’ tools a landscaper can have. With a little care, bulbs can almost effortlessly provide an early splash of much-needed garden color after a long winter!
A Tiny Window with Bursting Color
You’re using ephemeral plants when you are working with bulbs; fleeting plants, with a relatively short lifecycle. But they won’t let you down during their tiny seasonal window—they are on display—and they’re going to flaunt every color in the spectrum ????
Surprisingly, there is a massive variety of bulbs, so it makes understanding your inventory critical so that you know how to care for them individually. Tulips and narcissi are probably the most common bulbs, but there are countless others like camassia, crocus hyacinths, scilla, lilies, and too many more to count.
Fall is the Best Time to Plant Bulbs
Correct. Consider that you’re planting them during the fall season as storage—we’re planting them so that they can get ready to grow as soon as the frost melts and the ground warms.
Pro tip: ensure that all your squirrel friends have settled in for hibernation before planting your bulbs; that way, they won’t dig them up while looking for their sleepy snacks.
Heck, you can even wait to plant them in the winter.
Here are a few lawn maintenance and bulb planting tips for those that have never planted bulbs before:
- Stay away from areas that hold lots of water and aim for slightly sandy soil to preserve bulbs from rot
- ‘Not too deep but not too shallow’ is the trick to digging the perfect bulb hole.
- Trying keeping bulbs in tight proximity to enhance the effect of deep color (just don’t have them touching)
- Softly blanket your bulbs with soil and pat them down firmly
- Twiddle your thumbs until spring and enjoy the colors!