Enhance your garden with fall bulbs

The coming of autumn does not have to mean hanging up your garden shears and garden gloves for the year.  The fall of the year is actually the time when many of the most popular bulbs bloom, and planting fall bulbs can provide your garden with much needed color almost until the moment the first snow falls.

The fall of the year is also one of the most pleasant times to work in your garden, since the heat of summer has passed.  Many gardeners love spending the late summer and autumn days working in their garden.

In addition, fall bulbs are a great investment for the home gardener.  After all, the great thing about bulbs is that they are able to remain in the ground, ready to spring forth when their optimal growing conditions are met.  Even when they are not growing and blooming, the bulbs are still there, readying themselves for the next season.

When planting fall bulbs, one of the most important considerations is finding a suitable location for them.  Even though bulbs are very hardy, specific bulbs have their own requirements, and those special requirements must be met in order for the bulbs to thrive and show their best blooms.  The soil is probably the most important consideration.  Bulbs always do best in a well drained soil, and when bulbs fall to grow it is usually because they have rotted due to overly wet soil.

Most bulb varieties grow best in full sunlight, and it is also important to properly prepare the planting bed.  Many experienced gardeners prefer to excavate the area to a depth of between 12 and 15 inches, and then lay down a layer of well aged manure or compost.  After this layer is put down, the bulbs are spaced properly, then covered with either the original soil or with a good quality compost or potting soil.

While this method is a great way to plant bulbs, it is also a very time consuming one.  If you are looking for a less item consuming method of planting fall bulbs, you can use a bulb planter to make three to four inch wide holes.  To use a bulb planter, you simply use a twisting motion.  After the proper depth has been reached, the bulb planter is removed and the bulb can be planted.  Even though bulb planters are a real time saver for most gardeners, they do not perform well where the soil is rocky.

The most popular types of bulbs to plant in the fall season are tulips, daffodils and crocus.  In addition to these well known varieties, however, there are a number of other choices as well, including hyacinths, iris and alliums.  These types of bulbs are easy to grow and they bloom beautifully.  The chionodoxa is another popular fall bulb, and even though its earliest blooms are only a few inches in height, as it matures its blooms become ever larger.  In addition, chionodoxa are resistant to deer, so they are favored by gardeners whose gardens are often visited by these creatures.