When it comes to landscaping and gardening, it’s always a good idea to be planning and thinking ahead. After you’ve completed fall maintenance on your yard, getting it cleaned up and ready for a winter’s nap, there is still work to be done if you want your garden and landscaping to pop when spring finally rolls around. Autumn is the best time to get your yard spring ready by planting bulbs that will grow when the weather warms up. Follow these five easy steps this fall to have your garden all ready for spring next year.
- Stay ahead of schedule. Planning ahead doesn’t have to be stressful! Make fall planting a part of your annual landscaping routine. In September and October, when temperatures have cooled but before the ground freezes, plan, prep, and plant spring bulbs. Since the weather is cooling down in the fall, as an added bonus, you will be able to better enjoy your gardening time and avoid all the mosquitoes that hung out in your yard all summer long.
- Consider what to plant. As you plan your garden, think about the best spring flowers that will thrive in your climate zone. Popular spring bulbs include daffodils, tulips, crocuses, allium, buttercups, hyacinths, irises, and even garlic, which isn’t as visually appealing as a daffodil, but because it produces a natural fungicide, it can can benefit your other plants and repel pests; not to mention it can come in handy for use in the kitchen!
- Sketch out a garden plan. Before you actually buy bulbs, consider what colors you would like to group together in what places. Flower height should be considered, putting taller plants either in the back against walls or fences or in the middle of circular beds. You can also stagger the plants’ by growing time so you have beautiful flowers coming up as others are fading.
- Buy the best bulbs. As with most things, when it comes to bulbs and flowers, you get what you pay for. Purchase your bulbs from reputable places and buy only high quality products. If you’re not sure where to purchase from, call us up for a consultation. We can either recommend the best local places to buy bulbs, or we can bring bulbs to your property and get them in the ground for you. With professionals on the job, you can rest assured you’ll get the most bang for your buck, and your bulbs are more likely to sprout strong and grow into beautiful spring flowers.
- If you decide to do it yourself, you can follow these easy instructions for planting.
First, remove rocks and debris from the planting area. Then, add nutrients to your soil, either with compost or some sort of organic fertilizer. Your bulbs will need extra nutrients if you have sandy or dry soil. Dig holes about eight inches deep for large bulbs and five inches deep for small bulbs. Drop in the bulbs, round side down, pointed side up.If you’re concerned about voles and other burrowing critters, plant them in plastic pots dropped into the ground or line your garden beds with mesh.
What bulbs do you love for spring? Let us know what kinds of plants you’re most interested in, and let us know how we can help you achieve the garden of your dreams.