Spring Bulbs

Be house proud by adding some outside colour to your springtime garden. To me not much is as exciting as watching my spring bulbs take on a life of their own. The colourful display starts in the middle of April and continues through until the end of June. During this period my garden changes from small dots of purple to areas of yellow to shades of red and then back to large flashes of purple. And the best thing about spring bulbs is that the beauty tends to multiply.

My first hint of spring are the hundreds of crocuses that poke their pretty heads through the melting snow and ice. Although crocuses are a favorite treat of squirrels I have managed to keep 30 or 40 returning every spring. Of course, this means I need to replenish from time to time.

The crocuses are accompanied by sweet little snow drops and some blue and white sqills. After the smaller bulbs are finishing the first act, the daffodils take over. Daffodils are my favorite of all spring bulbs for many reasons. They are durable and they multiply and spread faster than other types of bulbs which makes them a great investment. After a few years 7 daffodils can easily become a patch of 20 daffodils. Perhaps the feature I like best about daffies is that squirrels do not appear to like them much. This means that all of my hard work will be rewarded year after year.

There are literally hundreds of different types of daffodils. Some are yellow, some are white, some are orange, and some are pink. Others like my favorite variety called Tahiti are yellow with orange centres. Some varietals are miniatures that only reach about 6 inches while others are considered giants and almost reach 2 feet tall. The other wonderful aspect of daffodils is that different types bloom at different times during the spring. These are characterized as early, mid, or late bloomers. If planned properly a single yard can have a succession of different colours blooming at different points of the Spring with just using daffodils.

My other favorites include muscari and hyacinths and tulips and iris. Muscari and Irises are unappetizing to squirrels and multiply wildly which is a double benefit. A bed of combined yellow daffodils and purple muscari is beautiful. Hyacinths are very pretty and have a wonderful and unmistakable aroma. Tulips can be breathtaking but are prone to being squirrel lunch.

You will be rewarded by any bulb you decide to plant. The best time to plant bulbs is in late September to late October. Some types of tulips can be safely planted right up until the first hard frost of November. To give your bulbs a bit of energy for subsequent blooming in years to come add a pinch of bone meal to the planting hole. to give the bulb some protection from deer, squirrels and other bulb eating marauders also add a pinch of blood meal to the planting hole.

Spring bulbs are a wonderful way of showing your neighbors and your community that you care about your environment and are house proud.