| Flower bulbs can produce some amazing flowers | | | | you prepare the soil. Flower bulbs will readily rot |
| throughout the whole year for little care and | | | | where the soil holds water and is soggy. |
| effort once planted. This yearly display can start | | | | Whatever spot you pick be sure it allows your |
| with the earliest flowering bulbs in the spring such | | | | flower bulbs to be in full sun. As most |
| as snowdrops and crocus and proceed into winter | | | | spring-flowering bulbs come up before the trees |
| with bulbs forced indoors to bloom. These you | | | | have their leaves, it may not be as great a |
| can see available in stores around Christmas time. | | | | concern for them. It is certainly a consideration |
| For this article we will discuss flower bulbs as | | | | when planting summer-flowering bulbs. Keep this in |
| being most of the group of flowers that grow | | | | mind when planting near evergreens and |
| from enlarged underground masses that store | | | | man-made structures. |
| food over the winter for the plant. In another | | | | Some flower gardeners prefer to use bulbs to |
| article we will address the actual differences | | | | "naturalize" an area. To do this, you simply dig a |
| among all such "bulbs". | | | | hole big enough and deep enough for the bulb you |
| Flower bulbs, if planted in a bed, need a soil that | | | | are planting. You can also dig a hole big enough to |
| has good drainage. A sandy loam soil is ideal but | | | | hold four or five bulbs at a time. Put a little bulb |
| bulbs will do well in just about anything short of | | | | fertilizer in the hole, place your bulbs in, replace |
| cold clay soil, soggy spots and very rocky ground. | | | | the soil removed and cap with the sod you |
| Even amongst the rocks you can find pockets to | | | | removed in making the hole. |
| plant some of the smaller flower bulbs. Adding | | | | And lastly the rule of thumb for planting flower |
| plenty of organic matter always helps your soil as | | | | bulbs is three times as deep as the bulb is big. |
| we have mentioned in other articles. | | | | You may wish to consider planting some bulbs |
| Some expert gardeners suggest a flowerbed | | | | even deeper. Barbara Damrosch of Theme |
| where the bulbs will be planted should be prepared | | | | Gardens fame prefers to plant her bulbs, |
| to a depth of two feet. This allows you to plant | | | | especially tulips and daffodils, deeper at ten inches. |
| even the largest of bulbs to a good depth. But if | | | | She prefers this to keep them from sprouting in |
| the location is a low spot to which all other areas | | | | the fall, being worked out of the ground by the |
| drain, and it holds water, this will not be a good | | | | freezing and thawing of it, and also to help |
| spot to plant your bulbs regardless of how well | | | | protect the bulbs from being eaten by animals. |