If you’ve been following me for a while, you might know that I don’t love fall and winter – spring is by far my favorite season. And what I love about spring is plants coming out of the ground after a long winter, and all the colorful flowers that come with the warmer weather. I wanted to extend the flowering season of my front flower bed that I planted this summer by adding some early spring blooming fall bulbs. Here are some of my tips for choosing bulbs, and to plant fall bulbs to get continuous color throughout the spring.
This post was originally sponsored by Veseys Seeds. I received bulbs in exchange for writing this post. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
1. 5 of the best bulbs to plant in the fall
There are many different types of fall bulbs, but the most common ones are tulips, daffodils, crocus, and hyacinth. I planted a mix of these bulbs because they all bloom at slightly different times and have a variety of colors.
Tulips
Tulips are probably one of the most common spring bulbs, and they come in so many different colours, shapes and sizes. I planted a mixture of early-, mid- and late-blooming tulips, which helped extend the blooming season rather than having all the tulips flower at once.
Daffodils
Daffodils are another one of my favourite spring flowers. They’re easy to grow and come back year after year. I planted a mixture of different varieties to add some colour and variety to the flower bed throughout the spring.
Hyacinths
Hyacinths are one of my favourites because of their bright colours and amazing fragrance. They bloom in early spring and are a great way to add some colour to the garden while you’re waiting for other spring flowers to get going.
Crocus
Crocuses are some of the first flowers to appear in the spring, which is one of the reasons I love them. After a long winter, it’s always exciting to see those first little flowers popping up through the garden. They’re small, but planting several together can add a nice pop of colour early in the season.
Grape Hyacinth Muscari
The grape hyacinths have a beautiful deep purple color. These are great for naturalizing a larger area as the bulbs will multiply every year. They are a smaller bulb, and the flowers get a height of about 6″.
2. Determine when to plant fall bulbs
Once you’ve chosen the bulbs you would like, it’s time to plant. The best time to plant fall bulbs is…in the fall. Aim to plant them once the weather and soil have started to cool, but before the ground freezes. For us, that usually means sometime in September or October.
3. Determine the planting depth
In general, the size of the bulb will determine how deep it should be planted. Larger bulbs are planted deeper, while smaller bulbs are planted closer to the surface.
I planted my larger bulbs (daffodils, tulips and hyacinths) deeper than the smaller crocuses and grape hyacinths. Check the planting instructions that come with your bulbs for the recommended depth for each variety.
4. Add fertilizer, IF DESIRED
When I planted these bulbs, I added some bone meal to the soil. If you choose to add fertilizer or bone meal when planting your bulbs, mix it into the soil and follow the package directions rather than placing the bulbs directly on top of it. If squirrels or chipmunks tend to dig up your bulbs, you may also want to protect the newly planted area until the bulbs have had a chance to establish.
5. Plant fall bulbs
Next just put the bulb in the hole, root side down, and cover it up again with soil. The bulbs will grow roots over the winter, and provide some amazing color in the spring! I already can’t wait. What is your favourite type or colour of spring-blooming bulb?
Helpful Tools for Planting Fall Bulbs
You don’t need a lot of special equipment to plant fall bulbs, but a few basic gardening tools can make the job a little easier. Here are a few that are helpful to have on hand:
- Bulb planter – helpful if you’re planting a lot of bulbs and want consistent planting holes.
- Garden hand tools – perfect for digging individual holes and working in smaller spaces.
- Gardening gloves – because fall bulb planting can get a little messy!
- Watering can – for giving everything a good watering once you’re finished planting.
Oooh fabulous post Jess! We just did our front garden in many of your top picks above although the squirrels seem to be transplanting what we just planted! LOL!
I hate when the squirrels do that!
How much of each meal did you put in the hole? Great post. I love the tips. I have never done bulb planting in the fall. We are going crazy with it this year.
I just did a small handful, I didn’t really measure. You will love your bulbs in the spring!