Snowdrops are one of the first bulbs to bloom. They can emerge in January during a thaw. Photos by Doug Oster

Gardening Green with Doug

Bulbs: Plant Now, Admire in the Spring

By Doug Oster

November 14, 2024

It’s hard to believe the beauty which is hidden inside dried brown bulbs. Spectacular spring flowers are dormant, which need time underground during the winter to emerge with spectacular color in spring. When fall planted, they establish a good root system and can be added to the landscape until the ground is frozen solid, although sooner is better for planting. I always sneak the last planting in just as winter arrives in full.

Local nurseries are stocked with bulbs right now and there are many online sales going on too. Many garden centers will start to discount bulbs around Thanksgiving. In my mind the best tool for the job is a bulb auger, it’s a big drill bit which is attached to a powerful drill. The Power Planter auger is the best one I’ve found; it’s made to last and will be passed down to my grandkids. The drill I use is a 20 volt, rechargeable Black and Decker model which makes bulb planting much easier than any hand tools.

When planting bulbs solo a short auger, about seven inches long by three inches wide is perfect. Working on your knees with a bag of bulbs beside you and creating drifts instead of straight rows looks natural when the blooms arrive. In a two-person operation, a longer auger could be used for drilling for one helper, followed by the gardener who stays down low, dropping in the bulbs.

Since trees will not have leaves in the spring, the bulbs will get the sun they need to bloom, but afterwards, they need to be dry for the summer. Hillsides, driplines of trees, under eaves are all good choices, but anywhere in the landscape will work if it has good drainage.

Daffodils are one of the easiest bulbs to grow. Critters, including deer, aren’t interested and they are tough. There are 13 different divisions of daffodils which offer a wide range of shapes, sizes, and bloom times.

Planting early, mid-season, and late bloomers will provide the longest spring show, often starting in late February and lasting into May. It all depends on what we’re planting and how the winter ends. Some favorite early varieties include ‘Tete-a-Tete,’ ‘February Gold,’ Barrett Browning,’ ‘Little Gem,’ ‘Jetfire’ and ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation.’

I’m a sucker for division four, which are double-flowering cultivars, ‘Tahiti’ is a beautiful and reliable perennial bloomer. ‘Sir Winston Churchill’ has multiple flowers and smells like gardenias. This late bloomer has sturdy stems and the aroma is unmatched.

Bulbs are planted three times as deep as the bulb itself, that’s why it’s nice to put in some smaller bulbs like snowdrops, glory of the snow, winter aconite, puschkinia, corydalis solida, and scilla.

Snowdrops are a favorite for their early white flowers, sometimes appearing in January along with pretty yellow flowers of winter aconite. Both are deer resistant as is glory of the snow and puschkinia. These are off the beaten path choices for the garden, which will fill the landscape with color early in the season.

When planting tulips and crocus, know that the deer love both and other critters will dig them up or eat them underground. My friend Brent Heath from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs (a great online source) taught me a great tip. Soak those bulbs in deer repellent for a few minutes before planting. I use one called Bobbex, but there are lots of choices.

The soaking will keep the bulbs safe for a couple of seasons. Once they emerge though, deer repellent will have to be sprayed on the buds and flowers.

The most perennial varieties of tulips include the big Darwin hybrids, smaller greigii and species varieties too. I consider most tulips to be annuals, but some will return for years, good drainage and decent soil is imperative for them to thrive over the seasons.

Since I love tulips, but live in deer country, they are planted in the fenced vegetable garden. That garden is also home to variety of other bulbs and plants to keep them safe. Every garden needs hyacinths, grown for their beauty and fragrance. Another flower the deer aren’t interested in and when cutting a couple for a vase, fill the house with the aroma of spring.

Alliums are another deer resistant bulb. Probably best known for varieties with tall globular purple flowers, but there are many different shapes and colors of alliums. A favorite is the blue Allium azureum. Everyone longs for blue in the garden and these flowers only reach about 18 inches.

Lilies are the queen of the summer garden and can also be planted right now. Nurseries still might have some leftovers from summer in one-gallon pots. They will be deeply discounted and the benefit of buying them this way is the bulb has already put on roots. One of the Easter lilies I purchased in September actually bloomed again recently. It’s wonderful to enjoy that summer aroma as winter looms.

The lily bulbs are also for sale but need to be planted in an area the deer can’t get to, as the buds are a favorite food when the sprout next season. ‘Stargazer’ is one of the most popular, but there are hundreds of different varieties. Since lilies are tall and thin, they can be shoehorned into many different areas of the garden. Planting bulbs now does not offer instant gratification, that comes in the spring and summer as these ephemeral beauties put on their show.

This video called For Love Of Bulbs shows how I plant and care for bulbs.

Doug’s last free online gardening class of the season will be on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 5 p.m. He’ll present Putting the Garden to Bed and Late Planting Secrets. The classes are sponsored by Farm To Table Buy Fresh Buy Local. Register here.