When you plan your garden, you are almost like a playwright for your landscape - creating different scenes and images. Just like any good play, there are different “acts” to the growing season, with certain plants taking center stage at particular times.
Planting bulbs amongst other perennials, so they flower in succession, means you will always have something in bloom. While some will be in the spotlight, others will act as supporting roles - ultimately creating a lush, colorful garden.
HOW TO PLANT BULBS FOR SUCCESSIONAL BLOOMING
With the use of strategically placed flower bulbs, your garden will always be in bloom! We can categorize bulbs into three separate planting/blooming times: fall planted/fall blooming, fall planted/spring blooming, and spring planted/summer blooming. You can even add more blooming time by choosing early, mid, and late blooming varieties from each season.
Plant the taller bulbs at the back of the garden bed with the shorter ones in front so that the shorter ones are not hidden. Plus, the shorter plants can be “shoes-and-socks” plants that will cover the naked stems of the emerging bulbs behind them.
FALL PLANTED/FALL BLOOMING FLOWER BULBS
Fall blooming bulbs are planted in late August and into September and bloom that same autumn. Fall blooming bulbs include Fall Crocus and Colchicums. Fall crocus are very similar to their spring counterparts, except for the fact that they bloom in the fall. These small, cup-shaped flowers range in color from pristine white to deep purple. They provide nice clusters of color in any well-drained, sunny location.
One of the most popular fall crocus is Crocus sativus, also known as the saffron crocus. As the name suggests, this is the source for the saffron spice. Starting with around ten saffron crocus bulbs will give the home gardener enough saffron to use in a few extraordinary dishes. When harvesting the saffron, it is best to gather the stamens mid-morning on a sunny day when the flowers are wide open. Dry and store the stigmas in an airtight container to use when needed.
Colchicums are another fall planted-fall blooming bulb and are also pest proof. These large white, pink, or purple flowers appear in the fall on naked stems with their thick, hosta-like leaves emerging in the spring. Colchium bulbs are long-term perennials that get better year after year.
FALL PLANTED/SPRING BLOOMING FLOWER BULBS
This category of bulbs is perhaps the most well known in the gardening world and includes daffodils and tulips. You want to plant these bulbs after your first killing frost as your soil temperatures are cooling down but before the ground freezes for the winter – if that happens in your area. In Southeast Virginia, our window of planting time usually falls from early November to late December; planting during this time gives the flower bulbs enough time in the cool ground to promote healthy root growth and happy flowers for the spring. To have optimum bloom time in the spring you will want to choose early, mid, and late spring blooming bulbs. Combining bulbs with perennials that have late winter and spring interest, like hellebores, astilbe, and peonies will certainly enhance your garden.
Early Spring Bulbs
These early bloomers will add a beautiful pop of color to your yard as the season changes from winter to spring.
Buttercups, also known as Winter Aconite, have a frilly green collar of leaves and dainty yellow flowers that bloom in very early spring. The pest-resistant Eranthis cilicica naturalizes easily and looks beautiful at the front of borders, along walkways, or in rock gardens.
Crocuses, available in stunning shades of purple, white, and yellow, poke their heads out while temperatures are still low, emerging in late winter or early spring. Many crocuses attract pollinators and achieve good naturalization, meaning they reseed and spread on their own. While some crocuses provide a tasty snack for squirrels, some like Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’ are resistant to critters.
Snowdrops, or Galanthus, have fragrant, white nodding flowers with petals shaped like teardrops. These are extremely critter-proof, naturalize well, and are fantastic for brightening up shadier spots in your yard. For a very early bloomer with large flowers, grow Galanthus elwesii.
Mid-Spring Bulbs
The next batch of bulbs should be the early to mid-spring bloomers.
Narcissus, also nicknamed daffodils, are long-lived, easy-to-grow flowers, plus they are naturally pest-resistant, all of which make them a classic in any garden. Rather than naturalizing, daffodils perennialize, meaning they multiply by division. Depending on the cultivar, some bloom earlier than others. Ceylon is one of the longest-lasting cultivars and has buttercup-yellow petals and a reddish-orange cup - a beautiful sight to see in spring.
Tulips add not only visual but also fragrant beauty to your garden. They are some of the best-cut flower bulbs. Tulips will come back well each year as long as they are not planted where there is mindless irrigation in the summer. They are also edible to many garden critters so a good option is to plant them in containers. For a super cheery, single-petalled tulip, choose Flair, which has flowers with streaks of yellow and red.
Late Spring Bloomers
These bulbs bridge together the spring and summer seasons.
Alliums, also known as ornamental onions, are generally tall bulbs for the back of your beds. Some naturalize, while others perennialize. They have pom-pom-shaped clusters of tiny florets and come in shades of blue, pink, purple, and yellow. To make a major statement, plant Allium giganteum, which has purple, softball-sized blossoms.
Anemones are daisy-like single or double petaled flowers blooming throughout the spring. These will be some of the showiest flowers in your garden. Anemone coronaria ‘Governor’ have bright red blooms that make beautiful cut flowers.
SPRING PLANTED/SUMMER BLOOMING
FLOWER BULBS
Start planning for the summer season of flowers as we go into the next year and your spring flowers are beginning to emerge. As with the spring flowering bulbs, you will want to look at early, mid, and late summering flowering varieties to ensure there is always something in bloom. For this grouping you will want to plant after the last frost.
Early Summer
These flowers will kick off the summer season and provide nectar to early pollinators returning to the area.
Asiatic Lilies, blooming in early-mid summer, these long-lived perennials are terrific garden plants as well as cut flowers. Although not fragrant, their bright colors draw attention to the garden. Asiatic lilies thrive in full sun as well as light shade and well-drained soil.
Crocosmia produce up to 50 tubular, starry, warm, colorful blooms that decorate gracefully arching stems. These pest resistant wonders, with sword-like foliage, blend in nicely and add linear accents to the perennial border. They are happiest in full sun and make wonderful cut flowers.
Mid-Summer
A wonderful time of color in the garden, look for pollinator attracting plants and flowers that are good for arrangements.
Dahlias produce an abundance of flowers throughout the summer. In fact, the more flowers you cut to enjoy, the more flowers they will produce. Dahlias are happiest in full sun, but will tolerate light shade. They come in all different colors and sizes, so make sure the area is appropriate for the size plant it will end up being. The larger the plant and flowers, the more likely it is to need staking.
Liatris, commonly known as a Blazing Star, produces brightly colored, bottle brush flowers that bloom from the top to the bottom. A great cut flower that is frequently visited by butterflies and other pollinators makes this perennial a wonderful addition to the garden.
Late Summer
Bessera produce unique, long- lasting flowers that are beautiful in the garden and used in arrangements. Each plant sports up to 30 lovely bell-shaped, coral red flowers when grown in full sun with good drainage.
Oriental Lilies have flowers with recurved petals and a wonderful fragrance. They are great flowers for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.
Set the stage for an award-winning production by planting bulbs for staggered blooms. Doing a bit of planning now will ensure you have a garden full of color throughout the year. Once the stage is set, sit back and enjoy for years to come!