Here are my beautiful ice stick tulips and some daffodils in the background.

A bite in the air tells me that autumn is just around the corner. That means one thing: Time to find and plant bulbs! Planting bulbs can become an addiction, one that I happily continue each year. I remember one bitterly cold Columbus Day that I spent planting over 300 bulbs. I waited all winter to see the beautiful flowers, but was well-rewarded in the spring! I love bulbs because they’re easy to plant, don’t require much watering or maintenance, and are difficult to kill.

My Favorite Bulbs

I’ve had the best luck with daffodils, blue grape hyacinths, and allium, probably due to their deer resistance. Daffodils come in all different shapes and sizes, with both early, mid, and late-blooming varieties available. Blue grape hyacinths are easy to grow and look great in large groups. I like the mixes with varying shades of blue. I discovered Allium karataviense (Ivory Queen Allium) at Costco a couple of years ago. They are a white variety and grow low to the ground. Almost everyone commented on how lovely they were. A note about tulips: Although I do enjoy tulips, I don’t plant them anymore because I end up creating a deer buffet. Luckily, I found some beautiful Ice Stick Tulips from Breck’s. Since they come up later than my other tulips, they’re sometimes spared.

Where to Purchase Bulbs

You can pick up bulbs just about anywhere; any local nursery, hardware store, or big-box store should carry them. I’ve found some nice bulk bulb packages at Costco. Additional varieties, including specialty bulbs, can be ordered over the internet or through catalogs. I like the novelty of buying bulbs that ship from Holland.

Bulbs in the Landscape

Bulbs look great when planted in clusters or large swaths, but think of using them to create year-round interest in your landscape. The first bed at my new home ended up being a medley of bulbs, which looks great in the spring, but pathetic the rest of the year. I’ve found that interspersing small clusters of bulbs between beds of shrubs and perennials works well, especially when the other plants camouflage dying foliage. Another alternative is to plant annuals or wildflowers over top of them. If you don’t have much earth at your disposal, you can always grow bulbs in pots.

If you’re a beginning gardener, bulbs are a great place to start. If you’re experienced, I encourage you to add even more bulbs to your yard. I know it’s a long wait, but you’ll thank me in spring!