Collection

Fall Bulb Planting for Your Region

By Diana Koehm
From left to right: ‘J.S. Dijt' reticulated iris (Iris reticulata 'J. S. Dijt', Zones 5–8); ‘Lady Jane’ tulip (Tulipa clusiana ‘Lady Jane’, Zones 3–8); ‘Tahiti’ daffodils (Narcissus ‘Tahiti’, Zones 3–9). Photos: Jason Jorgensen; Steve Aitken; Mary Ann Newcomer

Bulb-ordering season is here for much of the country, and many gardeners are rushing to nurseries and getting their online orders ready. It’s important to plan ahead and make your selections early before many favorites sell out. While fall-planted, spring-flowering bulbs may seem like a universal sign of spring when they bloom a few months from now, spring doesn’t look the same everywhere. In the articles in this collection, some of our regional experts discuss their favorite spring-flowering bulb selections, designs, and planting techniques. These suggestions are geared toward specific areas of the country.

Although bulb growing seems like a straightforward gardening endeavor, it is filled with pitfalls. Weather, pests, soil conditions, and bulb hardiness all play a role in whether you will have the tulip display of your dreams, or just a blank patch of earth come spring. Thankfully, our regional reporters have decades of experience when it comes to growing spring-flowering bulbs. From Mediterranean corms in Southern California to species tulips in the Southeast, these articles will help you shepherd in spring the best way your garden can.

Areas of interest covered in this collection include:

Northwest: Tips and varieties for the best early spring displays

Northwest: The best of the best early spring ephemerals

South: Unique, head-turning bulb varieties

Mountain West: Favorite tulips and daffodils for the region

Mountain West: Design ideas for interplanting bulbs with perennials

Southern California: Gorgeous Mediterranean corms and bulb suited to the climate

Southeast: Choosing and growing species tulips

Midwest: Favorite bulb varieties and design tips

Northeast: Great bulbs small bulbs for indoors

If you enjoy the information you read in this spring-flowering bulb collection, consider visiting the My Region tab at the top of the Fine Gardening website. Here you will find articles and plants organized by region. We’ve carefully selected regional reporters from around country to deliver timely and area-specific content on topics that are important to you as a gardener. You will also find monthly to-do lists to ensure you are undertaking the most pressing garden tasks (like fall bulb planting) at the right time.

 

 

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