Planting bulbs in fall is the proper time to start our spring flower blooming garden. Depending on what part of the country you live, the months of September through December are the months to plant. This should be done before you expect the first frost so the root system of the bulbs gets established before they go dormant. By planting bulbs in fall not only helps the bulbs get their roots established, but because the temperature is a lot cooler in the fall, it is a lot easier on the gardener.  

The flowering bulbs are classified as perennials, which means they will come back year after year. If you happen to see a garden that has a bed of thick, bushy tulips or iris you can rest assured that they were planted many years ago. Bulbs have a habit of multiplying as the years go by.

Once we have decided where in our garden our flower bulb bed will be, we need to ready the soil for planting. Most of the bulbs need sunshine and some of the spring flowering bulbs can even be planted under the trees because they will have finished blooming before the leaves arrive. Many of the summer flowering bulbs require partial shade or full sun. If the soil is heavy with a large clay content we need to add compost or some type of organic material. The compost needs to be worked into the soil for at least a foot or more. Fertilizer is to be mixed into all the soil especially the bottom where the bulb will rest; this will stimulate their root development. Good soil drainage is also very important for the bulbs.

Fertilizer not only needs to be added to the soil in the fall before planting but also in the spring when the shoots start coming through the soil. Bulbs that bloom in the spring and have already started blooming should not be given any more fertilizer. The ones that bloom in summer and fall should be fed monthly until they are in full bloom.

Here is a list of some of the bulbs you can plant for spring blooming and beyond:

Tulips - Plant November and December, bloom in spring and full sunlight.
Narcissus - Plant August through October, bloom in spring.
Spanish Hyacinths - Plant September and October, bloom in spring.
Snow Drops - Plant September and October, bloom in spring but sometimes as early as January.
Spring Saffron - Plant September and October, bloom early spring.

This is just a small list for planting bulbs in fall. As you can see tulips can be planted at late as December and will still bloom in the spring.