Plant More Bulbs! Please!
Remember too that the best garden displays are usually created using quite a few bulbs all of one kind, say a dozen tulips planted in a cluster, or five daffodils or a couple dozen crocus sprinkled casually over a small area just a few inches apart. So don't skimp. It takes a shocking amount of bulbs to create a big effect, think thousands if you can afford it. If not, think at least in dozens and select types that multiply well such as crocus or daffodils. One year my husband thought I had lost it when he stumbled over my bulb order sheet and read 800 bulbs (!)(envisioning STACKS of boxed arriving by UPS) but most of them were the smalls like crocus and they are remarkably fast and easy to plant in trenches. In the spring, your eyes will see a clumping of crocus instead of counting the flowers one by one. So, buy as many as you can afford. You will never have too many. And hide the order sheets, like I always do (now). Is it Time to Plant? Is it time to plant yet? Well, that depends. They need about six weeks in the ground before freezing weather makes the soil freeze at night, so you can guesstimate by using this handy dandy average regional planting date chart. Keep in mind it's an average, and keep in mind you can't keep them in storage until next fall, so if it is late by the time you are reading this, just go ahead and plant them as long as you are still able to dig the soil. Water deeply, mulch well and hope for the best. So much of gardening is just doing the best you can. One year we received a box of species tulips as a gift -- but it didn't arrive until Christmas eve. We hacked through an inch of frozen ground and planted them, they are still there ten years later. But earlier would have been better, sure. Where and How to Plant Bulbs Just Where and How to plant all the different bulbs is always the Big Question. Pointy end up is a good tip. Make this clear if you have helpers. Pointy End UP. Little kids and non-gardeners can usually grasp that and it's all they really need to know. Planting bulbs is pretty easy, truth be told, child's play. Say it with me
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