by Jill Anderson | October 10, 2014
As the days get shorter, I cherish the beautiful foliage of the majestic maple trees, the subtle varieties in color of the wildflower meadows, and the smell of freshly cut grass, as I know it will soon be coming to an end.
And then I remember that it is bulb time!
Although the internet is at my fingertips, I enjoy flipping through bulb catalogs, studying each page, and trying to decide which bulbs to plant for the upcoming spring.
The great thing about bulbs is that once they are planted, they’ll continue to come back every spring. But not all bulbs can with stand our cold winters, so make sure they are hardy to your zone (5a – 7b for CT).
As a rule of thumb, try to get tulip bulbs in the ground by early October and daffodil bulbs by Halloween. Always plant your bulbs point side up, and if possible, add water to fill any voids in the soil. Planting depths vary, so read each package for the correct planting depth.
After my leaves are cleaned up, perennials cut back, and bulbs planted, I wait patiently for the first bulb to emerge out of the soil in the spring. Each year, I hope it is brighter, bigger, and even more colorful than the picture shows!
~ Jill Anderson, Master Gardener
Weir Farm National Historic Site
