Springing Ahead

Normally, a little advance planning is required if you want to greet spring by stepping out in your garden and tiptoeing through the tulips or dancing through a host of golden daffodils.

Someone – most likely you – had to spend time on their hands and knees in the fall planting the bulbs that – with their successful emergence – would herald the coming season. But all is not lost if six months ago, you were “bulb challenged.”

Maybe you weren't planning ahead, but others were: the folks at your local garden center. Last fall they were busy gathering not only tulips and daffodils, but crocuses, hyacinths and maybe even miniature iris reticulata. What's more, they fooled them into thinking they had been planted outdoors by providing the 10 weeks of cold temperatures these bulbs need before flowering. Just about now, those spring bulbs should be potted and ready for purchase. You can treat these potted bulbs just as you would other bedding plants, putting them directly in the ground or in containers.

• For a long flower season, look for pots of bulbs in which the buds are just beginning to show.

• To acclimate the plants to outdoor temperatures, place them outside in a sheltered location for a day or two before gently slipping them from the pot and placing them in the ground as-is. When they have adjusted to the cool late winter/early spring weather, bulbs are hardy enough to withstand a cold spell and even a dusting of snow. If outdoor temperatures remain cool, the blooms could last up to a month in the garden.

• Once plants have flowered, leave the foliage alone for at least six weeks without trimming, braiding or twisting for photosynthesis to take place and the foliage to transfer nutrients to the bulb for next year's flowering. While tulips will probably not rebloom (or at least will not return with the same vigor) in subsequent years, other bulbs should last year after year in your garden. The Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center suggests fertilizing bulbs in the fall with a controlled-release bulb food or top dressing (with a compost mixture) to give them an extra shot of nutrients.

• Consider planting annuals, such as pansies around the bulbs. When the bulbs have quit blooming, the pansies will fill in and extend the season.

• Pots of bulbs also can be transplanted into containers on a porch or patio. Because the containers don't have the natural insulation provided by the ground, the pots may need to be temporarily tucked into a protected spot if the weather turns sharply colder. The larger the container, the more natural insulation there will be.

• Be creative in your use of containers. Flowers spilling from a watering can or a child's colorful rain boot can add a wonderful touch of whimsy to a sparse front porch.

• Always water bulbs well immediately after planting; all bulbs like well drained soil. If the container you choose doesn't have a drainage hole to allow excess water to flow out, insert the garden center pot directly into the container and dump out the excess moisture every time you water.

• To extend the life of the bulbs, consider removing them from the container and planting them – foliage and all in the garden when they have stopped blooming. A number of bulbs such as daffodils and crocus that can be forced into bloom indoors will also return in the garden year after year. I have a walkway in my garden lined with tiny ‘Tête-a-Tête' daffodils that through the years began life in pots on my kitchen table.

• Potted bulbs used decoratively indoors won't last as long as those displayed outdoors. They'll do best if placed away from sources of heat and kept moist but not soggy.

• For the longest life, select flowers that are still in bud and just beginning to show color. Re-cut the stems with a clean, sharp but not serrated knife once they are in the house.

• To extend the life of the flowers, change the water daily and re-cut stems every few days.

• Tulips are one of few flowers that continue to grow after being cut. Using a variety of vases and containers, cut flowers – as well as forced bulbs – will liven your spaces.