Crocuses, Photo by Bigstock
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Gardening with Janet
Baby spring bulbs, and they’ll magically reappear
The first garden blooms are a welcome sign that spring is on the horizon. Daffodils are by far the most common, but a wide array of bulbs planted in the fall bloom in the spring. How you take care of them can determine how well they come back from year to year.
While some bulbs live longer than others, all bulbs benefit from several weeks of growing time once flowering is over. This green-growth period helps bulbs regenerate blooms for next season. Use a complete fertilizer when you see the flower stalk emerging. Cut back foliage 6 to 8 weeks following the bloom.
While you can’t plant spring blooming bulbs now, you can take note of what you like and plan for fall planting.
| BULBS | SEASON OF BLOOOM | BLOOM SPECIFICATIONS | ATTRIBUTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliums (Flowering Onions) | Late season | Large globe-shaped flowers on upright stems. Very showy. Mature height will vary by variety. From 18 inches to 5 feet tall. Colors — pink, purple, red and white. | Onion-scented foliage makes them deer-resistant. Interesting seed pods after bloom. Expensive bulbs. |
| Crocuses | Early season | Low growing. Colors — yellow, white and purple. | Long-lived. Multiplies easily. Deer-resistant. |
| Daffodils | Early to late season | Hundreds of species, with a wide variety of sizes, height, color and time of bloom. Colors — traditional yellow to white, orange, red and bi-color; doubles and singles. | Long-lived. Easily naturalized. With proper selection you can have early, mid- and late season varieties to extend blooms. Deer-resistant. |
| Grape Hyacinths | Mid-season | Small clusters of grape-like blooms. Colors — shades of blue and purple. | Foliage appears in the fall and can look tattered when blooms top the leaves in the spring. Easily naturalized. |
| Hyacinths | Mid-season | Large, fragrant flowers. Colors — pink, red, yellow and blue. | Most fragrant of all spring bulbs. Flower size can diminish in future years if not fertilized following bloom. |
| Snowdrops | Early season | White flower with three longer outer petals, and a short bell-shaped center bloom with green dots. | Long-lived, but slow to get established. Deer-resistant. |
| Summer Snowflakes | Mid- to late season | White flower. Has six petals of the same length. Green dots on tips. | Long-lived, spread easily. Deer-resistant. |
| Tulips | Mid- to late season | Wide variety of colors and sizes. Very showy spring blooming bulbs. Most varieties do not rebloom consecutive years well. Many treat as an annual and replant each year. | Not deer-resistant. |