Frost

Fall is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Imagine this: a crisp sunny fall day that’s perfect for busying yourself outside in the garden. Just right for a little tidying up, planting flower bulbs, and still enough time to enjoy a cup of coffee in the sun. But with the certainty of frost on the way, it’s time to act fast. Get out there, plant your flower bulbs, and hurry back in!

The joy of spring

The rewards for your last-minute action will pop up in the spring. As soon as those first green tips emerge, you can feel your energy level rising. It’s the joy of spring! It won’t be long now before the first buds start to open. If you went all out last autumn, you’ll really have a lot to enjoy now. All those colors and fragrances are a delight for the senses.

Let’s go outside

Planting flower bulbs is a nice little job for kids or grandkids to help you with in the garden. You’re outside in the fresh air, and the kids are learning all about how nature works simply by having fun. How can such a little brown bulb grow into a big beautiful flower? Children never cease to be amazed by this little miracle.

Looking ahead

It’s still fall now. Nature is still putting on its grand finale before going to sleep for the winter. Can you already picture which colors you want to see once winter melts away?

1. For a leisurely introduction to spring, choose white-flowering flower bulbs. Good examples would be white-flowering tulips (Tulipa), hyacinths (Hyacinthus) and starflowers (Ipheion) as well as white-flowering checkered fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris), grape hyacinths (Muscari) and wood anemones (Anemone nemorosa).
2. A combination of blues would also look serene but refreshing. What about Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa), anemones (Anemone), striped squills (Puschkinia scilloides) and Siberian squills (Scilla siberica)?
3. Could you use some bright vivid colors when winter turns to spring? If so, choose sparkling yellow: daffodils (Narcissus), tulips (Tulipa), Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) and the early-flowering Winter Aconite (Eranthis).
4. Still undecided? Then go for a nice cheery mix – also a good idea if you want a natural-looking garden. Mix & match!

Tips

• Plant flower bulbs that have a range of flowering periods. This way, you can enjoy flowering spring bulbs in your garden month after month.
• Plant flower bulbs in some pots and containers, too. In early spring, you can place this in a spot easily visible from inside your home.
• Try planting flower bulbs in a pretty shape such as a heart or smiley. To create sharply defined lines, use short varieties like crocuses. You could also plant them in the shape of a number, letter or even a whole name.