A spring garden is beautiful to behold after weeks of cold temperatures. Now is the perfect time to plan your spring garden with a variety of bulbs that are planted in the fall, leading to next year’s blooms! When people think of spring flowers, daffodils and hyacinths immediately come to mind. But while those two bulb flowers are beautiful, they are just the beginning of the many different types of flowering bulbs available to plant in the fall for spring blooms.
This list of 20 fabulous bulbs to plant in the fall for spring blooms includes photos of the flowers, their US Hardiness Zone, and what types of wildlife they are resistant to. Surprisingly, many bulbs are deer resistant! While bulbs generally do well in colder climates, there are a number of bulbs listed that will do well in the warmer climates of the south, too.
20 Fabulous Bulbs to Plant in the Fall for Spring Blooms
The best time to plant your bulbs is when evening temperatures average 45-50 degrees, but at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes. In the south, since the ground does not always freeze, consider November a good time for fall planting of bulbs.
As a general rule of thumb, you want to plant in the right growing conditions: well-drained, loose soil garden beds. Unless otherwise stated on bulb packaging, plant large bulbs 7-8” down, and small bulbs to a planting depth of about 5” down, with the pointed end of the bulb facing upward. Once bulbs are at their proper depth, return the soil over the bulb, packing loosely. Water well. Generally, bulbs like full sun, although there are several flower bulbs listed that will grow nicely in just partial sun.
Remember that bulb flowers generally look better in clusters than in rows, so it is a good idea to do bulb plantings in clusters. There are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, this is true. Plant your smaller flower bulbs in front of larger flower bulbs (shorter flowers in front, taller flowers in the back). It will look better, and the small flowers won’t be hidden behind the larger blooms. Don’t be afraid to experiment with color combinations.
Whether you are planting tulip bulbs, grape hyacinth, various types of irises, formal gardens, rock gardens, or simply as an addition to your flower beds, planting fall bulbs for early spring or late spring, beautiful blooms will lead to years of enjoyment.
You can purchase plant bulbs at a bulb supplier, local garden center, Home Depot, Lowes, or online retailer that specializes in plants.
There are many types of bulbs listed, something for nearly every climate! You can enjoy the fruits of your labor this fall and the following spring with a riot of color and floral scents!
● Allium
● USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
● Grows in full sun
● Resistant to Cold, Deer, Drought, Heat, Rabbit
● Anemones
● USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-10
● Grows in full sun
● Resistant to Deer
● Bluebells
● USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7
● Grows in full to partial shade
● Resistant to Deer
● Camassia
● USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
● Grows in full sun
● Grows well even in poor soil
● Corydalis
● USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
● Grows in partial shade
● Crocus
● USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7
● Grows in full to partial sun
● Resistant to Cold, Deer
● Flowers in February or March
● Daffodils
● USDA Hardiness Zones 3- 8
● Grows in full to partial sun
● Resistant to Cold, Deer
● May be grown in a pot or in the ground (daffodil bulbs)
● Fritillaria
● USDA Hardiness Zones 4- 8
● Grows in full to partial sun
● Resistant to Cold, Deer
● Glory of the Snow
● USDA Hardiness Zones 3- 8
● Grows in full sun
● Resistant to Cold, Deer
● Hyacinth
● USDA Hardiness Zones 4- 8
● Grows in full to partial sun
● Resistant to Deer
● Iris
● USDA Hardiness Zones 3- 9
● Grows in full to partial sun
● Resistant to Deer
● Narcissus
● USDA Hardiness Zones 3- 10
● Grows in full to partial sun
● Resistant to Cold, Deer
● May be grown in a pot or in the ground
● Orange Candleflower
● USDA Hardiness Zones 4- 9
● Grows in full to partial shade
● Does not bloom until late spring
● Persian Buttercups
● USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10
● Grows in full sun
● Scilla
● USDA Hardiness Zones 4- 8
● Grows in full to partial sun
● Resistant to Cold
● Snowdrops
● USDA Hardiness Zones 3- 9
● Grows in full shade, full sun, partial sun
● Resistant to Cold, Deer, Rabbit
● Star of Bethlehem
● USDA Hardiness Zones 5- 9
● Grows in full sun to medium shade
● Starflowers
● USDA Hardiness Zones 5- 9
● Grows in full shade, partial sun
● Resistant to Deer, Rabbit
● Tulips
● USDA Hardiness Zones 4- 8
● Grows in full sun
● Resistant to Cold
● May be grown in a pot or in the ground (tulip bulbs)
● Winter Aconite
● USDA Hardiness Zones 4- 7
● Grows in full sun, partial sun
● This will bloom before crocus (early bloomers)
I hope you find this post useful. I wanted to show you what each bulb looked like… well, at least one variety of each bulb, some have many types of different flowers like tulips and hyacinths. Spring bulbs are truly beautiful. You can start off small … say 20-30 bulbs, and then add year after year. The nice thing about bulbs is they can be divided in a few years for more flowers!
For more fall gardening tips:
● Shred Your Fall Leaves For Gardening Compost
● Tips For Growing A Fall Vegetable Garden
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