If you’ve ever had a bout of insomnia and turned on the TV in the middle of the night, you’ve probably seen an infomercial for a cooking device that you just have to “set it and forget it.” They make it seem so easy to have a delicious, nutritious meal for you family … with no effort at all.
Fall bulbs are my version of this infomercial. There is almost no way that you can help but enjoy gorgeous colour from daffodils, tulips and so many other wonderful spring flowers, if in the fall you “plant ’em and forget ’em.
Fall-planted bulbs have been called miniature “flower factories,” because everything they need to produce next spring’s blooms is contained within. All you need to do in fall is a minimal amount of preparation, digging the soil to a depth of 12-14.”
This is a great time to incorporate a bit of bulb food to the soil. Bone meal can be used, but unfortunately, bone meal tends to attract the attention of rodents, and you don’t want to lose your spring show to their winter feast.
Remove the top 6-8” of soil and place larger bulbs like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in the bed, clustering them in groups of odd-numbered bulbs (three, five, seven, etc.).
Cover these bulbs with 3-4” of the soil. At this point, you could try some bulb layering, planting smaller bulbs like crocus, muscari and anemones on top of the bulbs you’ve already planted, since they don’t have to be planted as deep as the larger bulbs.
Top with the rest of the soil, tamp down lightly and water well … and you’re done! When spring comes, you’ll be treated to an amazing floral display – fresh, cheery and bursting with natural vitality.
My spring-blooming flowers were absolutely gorgeous this year. Being of a certain age, I had forgotten the few hours I invested last fall in the garden to make it all happen. I literally planted them and forgot them – what a delightful surprise!
