Planting Flower Bulbs for Next Spring

By Susan Clotfelter
Published on August 11, 2010
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Tulip bulbs ready for planting.
Tulip bulbs ready for planting.
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Standing tall against a bright sky, blooming daffodils and tulips are sure signs of spring wherever you reside.
Standing tall against a bright sky, blooming daffodils and tulips are sure signs of spring wherever you reside.
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Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) is an early spring bloomer.
Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) is an early spring bloomer.
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Pink edges punctuate this tulip flower.
Pink edges punctuate this tulip flower.
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Fluffy alliums are often used as border plants and come in a variety of colors.
Fluffy alliums are often used as border plants and come in a variety of colors.
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With centuries of breeding behind it, the tulip offers seemingly endless variety.
With centuries of breeding behind it, the tulip offers seemingly endless variety.

Sidebar:
Flowering Bulbs to Plant on Your Acreage

Nothing soothes the soul like spring – and nothing announces the season like a clump of blooming tulips, a blur of grape hyacinths, a swath of crocuses, a blaze of daffodils, a secret clutch of shy, purple or white fritillaria.

But planting bulbs? Ah, now that’s the supreme act of faith, proof that you’re sticking around. It’s a testament that you’ve now reached adulthood and can handle delayed gratification.

Because bulb-planting season is often cold, sleety, brown, gray, anything but colorful.

No matter. When gardeners talk about bulbs, superlatives pop up a lot.

“They’re like the best kind of guest,” says Anna Pavord, the British author of the photo-packed, 544-page, 8-pound tome Bulb. “They leap up into flower and delight you, and then tuck themselves away. They’re about pure delight and pleasure.”

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