Garden Bulbs – Add Carefree Color and Interest to Your Flowerbeds

If you’re looking for a simple way to bring color and beauty to your garden, then you’ll want to look closely at garden bulbs.

These plants return each year, and with age become more plentiful and beautiful. Even better, garden bulbs are nearly carefree, so you get a lot to show for your effort!

Garden Bulbs Come in a Wide Variety of Colors and Textures

Whether you’re looking for something show-stopping, or a simple contrast in your flowerbed, you can find a bulb that will fit your needs.

From the smallest Grape Hyacinth that stands about 6 inches tall, to the statuesque Bearded Iris that can top more than 42 inches, you’ll find the perfect fit for your garden display. Daylilies, crocuses, dahlias, begonias, all can contribute to a stunning exhibition.

There are numerous colors to choose from, white, pink, red, yellow, orange, blue, purple and every shade in between. Some bulbs even display in multiple colors, like the iris, which can have a two-tone flower.

Caladiums do not flower, but their leaves can come in multiple shades of red, green and white. Hostas are not known for their flowers, but they, too, can provide a lots of interest in your garden through their wide variety of green-shaded leaves.

Bulbs Provide Carefree Elegance for Your Garden

The best part about garden bulbs is that you can plant them and let them go.

Bulbs require minimal care, so whether you’re a garden pro or just beginning to try your hand in the soil, you can experience beautiful results.

Bulbs like daffodils and tulips are planted the previous fall for spring displays. Irises are also planted in the fall, but they will bloom in the late spring to early summer.

Daffodils and tulips are planted about 4 to 6 inches deep in August or September. Simply dig your holes, place the bulbs inside and cover well with good quality soil. Water well. Water again every few days for the first few weeks, and you’re done!

Irises are just as easy to plant, but even better, they don’t require deep holes. Actually, you can plant these bulbs just below the surface, even leaving the top of the “rhizome” (the actual name for an iris bulb) sticking slightly out of the top of the ground.

Irises like full sun and can tolerate dry soil conditions well. Just make sure that your bulbs have a good start by watering them a few times for the first 2 or 3 weeks.

Some Garden Bulbs Require a Hard Freeze for Best Performance

Many bulbs do require a hard freeze in order to come back in the spring and summer.

If you live in a warm climate where the ground does not freeze in the winter, then you’ll need to dig up your garden bulbs each fall and put them in the freezer. Simply replant them in the spring. Irises, tulips and daffodils all require a hard freeze to flourish.

Another tip for a beautiful display is to stagger your bulbs when planting. Rows of flowers can look stiff and formal, but if you scatter your garden bulbs, they will look more natural.

Maintenance of Garden Bulbs

Garden bulbs maintenance is also a simple process.

As your bulbs grow each year, they will begin to get crowded. You’ll notice your flowerbed looking “tight” with plants getting closer together. This is because the bulbs are growing “baby” bulbs attached to the parent bulb, and they will need to be thinned every 3 to 5 years to keep your displays healthy and beautiful.

It is easy to separate new bulbs from the parents. Simply dig up your bulbs, take a sharp knife and cut the new baby bulbs off of the parent bulb.

Dig a new hole somewhere that you’d like to start a new floral display and plant your bulbs, both the new babies and the old parents. If you like, you can leave some bulbs in their original beds, since they obviously liked it there.

Water as discussed earlier when planting new bulbs. That’s it!

If you’re new to gardening or have the skills of a master gardener, your flowerbed will experience lovely results with garden bulbs.

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