10/25/09

Time to think Spring??




I planted Daffodil bulbs today.


bulbsonline.com

Have you planted your bulbs yet?  Now is the time to be thinking about planting your Spring-flowering bulbs.  Last fall I planted Tulips and this past Spring I was rewarded with the most beautiful shade of pink.  My tulips bloomed in late April.  For next Spring I wanted some color a bit earlier than April, so I chose to plant some Daffodils today.


My front garden

When should you plant spring-flowering bulbs?  The answer to that really depends upon which "planting zone" you live in.  I am in Ohio, so late October to early November is the best time for me.  If you live in an area with very harsh winters you will want to plant your bulbs in September.  For regions with mild winters you can plant as late as December.  Generally you want to get the bulbs in the ground before the first frost.

When you purchase a package of bulbs it should tell you on the package when the bulbs should be planted according to what zone you live in.  My daffodil package had a zone map on it.  Here is the USDA Zone Map.




Planting bulbs is quite easy.  You will need a bulb-planter or a garden trowel.  I planted my daffodil bulbs around the base of the tree in my front yard.  I moved the mulch out of the way and placed the bulbs in the bed around the base of the tree.  You should place bulbs about 4-6 inches apart.  I then dug a narrow hole aprroximately 6" deep and placed the bulb in the hole pointy side up.  I replaced the dirt and continued with each bulb until they were all planted.  The bulb packaging will tell you how deep to plant your bulbs. 

Generally you will want to water thoroughly after your bulbs are planted.  We have had so much rain here in Northeast Ohio that the ground was very saturated and I didn't feel the need to water today.



I can't wait to see my daffodils in the Spring.  The winter is usually so long, cold, and miserable.  Those first flowers that begin to pop up in March are such a welcome sight.  They are a sign of new life, a sign of hope, of sign of beautiful days to come. 

So get on out there and plant some bulbs!
Come March or April you will be so glad you did.

Here are some bulb-planting resources:
Guide To Planting Bulbs - GoodHousekeeping.com
What Bulbs Grow In My Region? - AmericanMeadows.com
Flower Bulbs Galore, and More - GardenersNet.com


I am linking up to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land and also to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Come join the fun!

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12 comments:

  1. We are heading north this week for a few days and will be stopping in Holland, MI for some tulip bulbs. We bought a lot of them in the fall a few years ago and they were gorgeous. But, there was a certain way they needed to be planted for our area...and we only got 2 years from them. Hopefully, we have more success the second time around.

    Sue

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  2. The flowers are beautiful and your pictures of them are beautiful as well, so fresh and pretty

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  3. Thanks for the reminder!! I am so behind this season. This is a wonderful post!!!

    When visiting my post, be sure to click on the "Follow" button if you like what you see. This way we can share one anothers creativity!

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  4. I'm sooooo glad you reminded me. My husband came home from hardware store in early August with bulbs that he wanted to plant. I told him it was way too early, then promptly forgot about them!

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  5. I love the same colors as you! I really love your blog! i hope you will come visit mine become a follower and i hope you like me enough to make it a favorite!

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  6. Thank you for the reminder. I dug all of my bulbs up this summer because they needed to be thinned out. But I have not replanted them. Maybe I will do it today!
    -Angela

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  7. You go girl...always a step ahead. I love spring and the flowers it brings...just always forget to plant the bulbs~ Great reminder!

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  8. You are so prepared. Can't wait to see these in spring. Can't wait for spring!

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  9. Oh. Bless you for reminding me that spring will come again! one of my favorite times of year.

    pk @ Room Remix

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  10. Thanks for the reminder. Come spring I always wished I had planted bulbs back in October.

    Thanks for sharing!
    KAte

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  11. We've got our tulips and daffodils already planted! Yeah!

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  12. Hi Stephanie,
    Thanks for the reminder, although I can wait until late Nov. to plant, and have even planted some bulbs in Dec. I only put in varieties of daffodils in the garden, because the deer won't eat them! How I envy your beautiful tulips. Your pictures are lovely!! Our deck doesn't get enought sun for them, although I do sneek a few in among the potted plants just in case they might do okay...

    Thanks for visiting, and you're right - I should just grit my teeth and start that bathroom trim painting project. It will be so great to have it finished!!
    Hope you'll come back often to visit!
    XO
    Heidi - Heart and Home

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