nature's little storage tanks provide the best color

Start planning now for great spring bulbs in the garden. As the last waves of summer heat start to let up it is time to think about planting the bulbs of spring. While this might seem a little early, by the time the state fair has ended, and our relatives have seen the balloon fiesta, its easy to wonder how fast thanksgiving has crept up and now its too late to find any bulbs for next springs garden. Dig out those catalogs, get online or start cruising the nurseries the time to start planning is now.
 
Most bulbs originate from the semi arid mountainous regions Turkey which shares a climate similar to ours in Albuquerque. Daffodils, tulips, crocus, and grape hyacinths are most commonly grown and can be planted for a flush of spring color. There are many different species of each type giving one lots of choices in color combinations and height. Gladiolus,hyacinths, and giant alliums (blooming onions)while not as common can also be grown. If you live in an apartment and have only a balcony don't despair it is easy to plant all the above in containers just as well.

A bulbs life cycle is sometimes misunderstood and deserves a little explaining. Bulbs are purchased in their dormant state. When they are planted into cool soil they start to grow roots using stored up energy from the previous spring and summers growth. When the winter cold arrives they hunker down in another dormant state waiting for the soil to warm back up in spring. With warm soil temperatures bulbs shoot up their flowers that were also developed during the previous seasons growth. After a bulbs flowers have faded its leaves go on to produce more energy for the bulb to store and form the flowers for next spring. When the leaves die back the bulb has gone into its dormant summer state and the cycle has run its full course. After your flowers have faded leave those leaves they are forming the flowers for next spring!

Plantings bulbs is easy and should be started around the beginning of fall when night time lows are in the fifties. A general rule of thumb when planting bulbs is to bury them tips up at a depth of about three times the height of the bulb in a hole three times the width of the bulb. A 2 inch tall tulip should be planted six inches deep in a six inch wide hole. If your garden is mulched include the depth of the mulch in this calculation. Choose a planting area that receives around 6 hours of sunlight. Bulbs enjoy good nutrition and should be fed a general purpose natural fertilizer high in phosphorous for good root development and flower formation. When planting add fertilizer to the bottom of the planting hole to ensure it is available to the plants roots. Adding a little bit of compost to the back fill soil is always a good idea as well.

After planting water your bulbs well and let the fall rains carry them through to the winter.

Potted bulbs offer a gardener limited in space an opportunity for spring splendor as well. In a classic terracotta bulb pan or any other container (be creative) bulbs can be planted in layers and over wintered in a cold, sheltered spot until spring. Tall flowering bulbs are planted in the bottom layer with shorter bulbs planted in the top layers. Bulbs can planted much closer together in a potted container and can  be added to other outdoor containers growing perennials as well. Another benefit of the potted bulb container is that they can be tricked into blooming earlier by bringing them indoors,after a nice long cold spell, to warm up.Within a few weeks they will start to bloom and in the middle of winter you can treat yourself with a colorful preview of spring.

If you are interested in growing bulbs and need a good place to order and learn more,please visit the Gardeners Guild website. Gardeners Guild is currently developing a resource purchasing club that is membership based and is dedicated to helping gardeners build diverse habitats in urban environments. A selection of bulbs suitable to this area will be available for order through September. Start planning this fall for a beautiful spring and help to create and support healthy urban habitats.