October marks the end of our harvest season as we generally get a killing frost sometime during the month. Come November we are quickly switching gears and thinking ahead to spring. If we are lucky, we generally have some warm fall days where we are able to take advantage of the weather and get our outdoor garden cleanup, fall seeding, and bulb planting completed. One of my favorite things to plant in the fall is spring blooming bulbs. Tulips and daffodils are some of the first flowers to bloom in spring and I always look forward to seeing them after a long cold winter. I also find them easy to plant.
November or anytime in the fall prior to the ground freezing is a great time to get spring blooming bulbs planted. They look best planted in large clusters for the biggest impact. The following are a few tips I have for planting.
Find a spot with well-drained soil. You will want to avoid any low areas in the yard or any spots where you may have noticed standing water after a hard rainfall.
Select a sunny spot. Tulips and daffodils will perform best in full to partial sun. Some shade in the afternoon however, can help extend their bloom time.
Switch up where they are planted from year to year. Bulbs are susceptible to different fungal diseases that can persist in the soil from year to year. While daffodils come back from year to year, tulips will generally fade out after a year or two. It’s best to change up a tulip’s planting location to ensure you get the most blooms from your bulbs.
Stretch the season with bulbs that bloom at different times. Most spring bulbs are advertised as blooming early, mid, or late. For the biggest show of color select bulbs that will bloom during each phase of spring.
We have selected a few of our favorite spring bulbs to share with you this season. They are available at Hill’s Compounding Pharmacy in the Tracey Rae floral section.
Menton Tulip
Height: 24 inch
Bloom Time: Mid-Late Spring
Tall & Sturdy
Excellent Cut Flower
Finola Tulip
Height: 14-18 inches
Bloom Time: Late Spring
Double Bloom, lovely shade of ivory edged with pale rose
Excellent Cut Flower
In addition to tulips, we also have ranunculus corms available as well. Checkout our Instagram Highlights for planting tips for each of these spring flowers. More information to come on how to pre-sprout and plant ranunculus!
Pastel Ranunculus
Best late winter/early spring planted in Ohio
Height – 12-14 inches
Bloom Time: May
Excellent Cut Flower