Bulbs
A bulb is a plant's own storage unit — a compact bundle of stored energy and next year's flower, already formed, just waiting underground for the right conditions to grow.
Spring vs. Summer Bloomers
Spring-blooming bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and crocus are planted in fall and need a period of cold to trigger their spring bloom. Summer-blooming bulbs like dahlias, gladiolus, and canna lilies are planted after the last frost and bloom the same season — most aren't cold-hardy and need to be dug up and stored over winter in colder climates.
Plant bulbs at a depth roughly two to three times their own height, pointed end up, in well-drained soil.
Let spring bulb foliage die back naturally after flowering rather than cutting or braiding it — the leaves are recharging the bulb for next year's bloom.
Dealing with Squirrels and Rodents
Tulip and crocus bulbs are a favorite snack for squirrels and chipmunks; daffodils, by contrast, are toxic to most animals and are almost never bothered. Laying chicken wire just beneath the soil surface over a newly planted bed lets shoots through in spring while blocking digging from above.
