Plant Bulbs Now!!!

Now is the perfect time to plant spring blooming bulbs. One can begin now and continue to plant bulbs until the ground is frozen. It is better, though, to finish planting daffodils by the end of October. There may be bulbs marked down at local garden stores and home centers soon, so take advantage and plant for spring color. There are nothing like spring blooming bulbs – such color and variety!  
Let me provide an example of how to plant combinations of bulbs. A couple of days ago I planted spring blooming bulbs in my Bright Spot for blooms in April and also early May. I dug five holes about twenty inches or so across and about eight inches deep. In each hole I placed five fat daffodil bulbs – “Ipi Tombi,” a tall daff with a bright orange cup and yellow corona. The “points” on the bulbs should face upward. In between the daffodil bulbs and in the middle I placed seven to eight plump and shiny tulip bulbs - “Carnavel de Nice,” a double tulip with deep red and white petals. Tulip bulbs are flat on one side and rounded on the other. The rounded part goes toward the middle of the hole, as I heard someone say once – “Pregnant ladies face the table!” – now you won’t forget that. After placing the tulip and daffodil bulbs I covered them with about an inch of soil. On top of this soil I evenly arranged about ten to twelve sturdy smaller bulbs of Muscari – blue grape hyacinths. This is called “underplanting.” Grape hyacinths can be used as “markers” to remember where you have planted bulbs, as they usually soon send out fresh green foliage after planting, and also every fall after that. When my Bright Spot blooms in spring, the yellow and orange daffodils will bloom in April, and then after they are finished, the red and white tulips should come up along with the blue Muscari, providing a bright red, white, and blue color combination.  
Use this layering technique to do underplantings of smaller bulbs or timed bloomings of larger bulbs using colors and bloom times for different effects. As an alternative to using Muscari, for example, plant a bunch of crocus bulbs or Scilla siberica or Galanthus nivalis (these all bloom in March) to be followed by later bloomers.  
After the bulbs finish blooming – annuals can be planted in between the ripening bulb foliage. As an alternative, if you would rather have perennials take over after the bulbs bloom, it is possible to do all of the planting at the same time you plant bulbs – this is good if you are starting new beds or planting schemes. After you plant the bulbs in your big hole, place a hosta (in shady beds) on top or to the side of the partially filled hole, or a daylily for sunnier spots. Hostas and daylilies are marked down now at local garden stores, and can be safely planted until hard frosts. The daylilies and hostas will emerge slowly as the bulbs are finishing up in late spring and then their foliage will help conceal the messiness of the bulb foliage as the bulbs’ leaves continue to absorb energy for the bulbs for six weeks in very early summers.  
If you already have perennials in place (as many people do), dig holes in between them. If your space is really tight, use a bulb drill bit attached to a power drill to make holes or use the “bulb planters” widely sold, or just make smaller holes with a good sturdy trowel for individual bulbs. I planted nine “Globemaster” allium bulbs in my own garden amongst Shasta daisies, roses, and other perennials. The allium bulbs are quite large and I spaced them about a foot to a foot and a half apart in between existing plants in a roughly oval pattern. I can’t wait to see these nine big purple globes next May coming up three feet tall in my front garden bed. Lately I have really become enamoured of the color purple.
In my shady beds I have all sorts of hostas, ferns, toad lilies, and other plants so I am planting individual small holes carefully in between existing plants. Here I will plant the smaller holes with a few of the “minor" bulbs in each hole, such as five Fritillaria meleagris, or five crocuses, or five Galanthus. As you can see, bulbs do not need their own beds, but can be worked into the plan you already have in place. Also keep in mind that bulbs look more attractive when planted in groups of three, five, seven or more. And please don’t line them up in straight rows – this looks artificial and contrived. Follow the way of nature and plant “clumps,” – much more appealing!