Gardening Tips: Planting spring colour

I am sitting at my computer on a very cold, blustery October day dreaming of spring.

I really do love the colours of autumn but nothing beats seeing the first flowers blooming after a long winter.

One thing you can be doing now to enjoy spring flowers is plant fall bulbs.

Next spring those bulbs will produce blooms that will chase away the winter blues.

Snowdrops, crocuses, tulips and hyacinths are some of the earliest ones brightening up the spring garden.

The key to having a successful bulb display is to understand that each type of bulb has its own time of bloom.

Snowdrops bloom as soon as the snow starts to disappear.

Next are crocus, glory-of-the-snow (Chionodxa), scilla plus early narcissus and tulips.

Then, it's time for hyacinths, grape hyacinths, mid-season and late tulips, the rest of the daffodils.

Alliums, which are ornamental onions, flower from mid-May into July depending on the type.

With proper planning, you can have four months of flowering from a variety of hardy bulbs.

If you think that planning this sounds too complicated, bulb companies have made the task easy for you.

Packages and tags give information about bloom time, identifying them as early, mid-season, late or summer flowering.

Information is also given for planting depth, spacing and light requirements.

Some bulbs are packaged together that offer you either a collection for a succession of bloom or ones that bloom together for a complimentary colour display.

Big colour pictures on the labels show you exactly what you are getting.

When you are ready to plant, loosen the ground in the garden thoroughly and add some compost to enrich the soil.

Dig a planting hole the correct depth for the type you have.

The rule is to plant the bulb twice as deep as it is tall.

Generally, large bulbs such as tulips and daffodils go down 6 to 8 inches and small bulbs about 3 to 5 inches.

Check the package for exact information.

Large bulbs are spaced about 5 inches apart and small ones 2 to 3 inches.

Spacing may depend on the effect you are trying to achieve.

For a casual, natural effect, use an uneven spacing.

If you want a formal look, keep the distance between bulbs consistent.

Work fertilizer into the bottom of the hole as you plant to help establish healthy roots.

Put bulbs in an upright position, firm soil around them and water well.

If rainy weather doesn't continue, be sure to water until the ground freezes.

However, bulbs don't like 'wet feet' since they rot easily.

If you have clay soil, make sure they are positioned in a spot where water can drain away.

If you have had trouble in the past with squirrels and chipmunks digging up your bulbs, try this trick: once bulbs are position at the correct depth and covered with a bit of soil, take a piece of chicken wire and position it over and around the group of bulbs.

Then finish backfilling the area and firm soil well.

The wire mesh will prevent those pesky critters from digging up your bulbs.

If you have had deer eating flowers as they emerge from the ground, stick with deer-resistant varieties.

Tulips are deer candy so instead plant daffodils, crocus, alliums, fritillaria, chionodxa and scilla.

Other than flower bulbs, garlic is planted late fall for harvest next August.

This is an easy bulb to grow as long as you have a sunny spot with well drained soil.

Be sure to add a generous amount of compost to the soil before planting so you are successful.

The flavour of garlic you grow is much superior to grocery store garlic imported from China!

If by chance, you tuck your bulbs away but forget to get them into the ground in October, don't worry.

I have scraped away the first snowfall and planted my bulbs wearing my woolies.

They still bloomed well in the spring.