Spring bloomers, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth
Summer - asiatic and oriental lilies, gladiolas
late summer/fall - spider lilies, crocosmia

Bulbs usually are planted deeper. crocus bulbs are pretty shallow in my yard. Oriental lilies like stargazers have a tendency to migrate, so where you think you planted them may not end up being where the bulb is.

Thanks Token! Are all bulbs like those planted in the Fall?

The stargazers are like my elephant ears. I planted some about 2 1/2 months ago, I even oulined the area in rock so I would make sure I didn't plant over them. I waited and waited and they weren't coming up, and then I noticed the other day they WERE up, but about a foot from where I planted them!

Boy, they grow fast. I hope the leaves get bigger though, they're just tiny hearts now but the stems are about 4 inches high and very thick.

When they begin appearing in Garden Centers or offered for sale online, that is the correct time to plant.

I leave everything in the ground! Including glads and dahlias and I think you can too.

You just have to be careful and not plant directly on top of the bulbs or you can either damage the bulb or it will come up and damage anything standing on top!

Happy bulb shopping!

Daffs are wonderful, since moles don't eat them but they will die down and by now are very brown and ugly. You have to leave them alone because the leaves store food for next year's growth. A good idea would be plant your perennials or annuals in front of the daffs so they can come along and hide the foliage later.

Lilies are very trouble free. The very tall ones need to be staked, stakes added at planting so you don't damage the bulb that you can't see!

I don't do alliums but they are beautiful and should be good for your area.

If I plant a perennial next to a bulb, will the roots of the perennial hurt the bulb? I can see the roots wrapping up around the bulb. lol

I'm definitely going to try Tulips. This is the first time I've ever had the opportunity to plant so many flower since we added onto the house. It's fun!

Oakleyok - One thing that makes Spring bulbs so delightful is that they bloom when most of the garden is asleep. I'm in Virginia (zone 7/8). We are supposed to plant spring bulbs in the fall - Oct-Nov. I've planted them as late as February and they did fine, although that's pushing the envelope a bit.

One tip: Plant spring blooming bulbs behind plants like daylilies. When the blooms are spent, you need to allow the leaves to die back for several weeks. They don't look great but if they are behind daylilies and other large perennials, the new foliage hides the wilting foliage.

A great source of bulbs for all seasons is Brent & Becky Heath at http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/
Years ago, when I was a newbie, I placed a big order. Life happened and I had no time to plant them. By mid-November, I was in a panic, so I called the company for advice. Brent Heath returned my call within minutes, reassured me that they would be fine.

The quality and variety of their bulbs and perennials is the outstanding ... so is their customer service ;-) If you have questions about where to start, call or email. I'm sure they can help.

I just checked their website - their Fall/Spring bulb site is up with discounts on orders placed by 7/1. If you provide your email, you will get occasional emails from Becky when they have a sale.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brent & Becky's Bulbs

I live in the tulip state of Washington and I have a "gazillion" bulbs. They are planted directly beneath any and every plant possible. (no shrubs tho) No problems. The first year I had trim away the die back. Now the over plants just cover them up and the die back is not only hidden it becomes mulch.

Regarding tulips. The bulbs you buy are going to be full of flowering energy because the growers cut the buds off before they use up the stored energy so when you get them the first year they are going to be big wonderful blooms. The following year they will be a little smaller and so on till they peter out. You will usually get a couple of good years out of them. Planting them 8" instead of 6" will make them last a little longer.

You can also dig them up and divided them every other year and that will extend them. Each bulb should make a baby bulb but that isn't alway certain. I don't dig mine up because I have far to many and the over plants make it to much trouble.
The part about when to plant; the bulb needs a good freeze in order to get the sugars going. If you get the bulbs and can't plant them for some time put them in a cool basement or garage. They will start to grow with or without dirt if you wait to long.

I don't know what kind of display you are going to do but it can sure add up to some big money if you buy fancy bulbs. I would suggest perhaps getting only a few of the special i.e. expensive ones and then picking up the sales at the end of the buying season to fill out the beds. This way say you want a huge red display you can buy a bag of 75-100 Red Emperors at 50% off and then only a few of your special ones to pop.

Tulips are incredibly beautiful and the most wonderful spring flower. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

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What great advice!! I think I'll order Brent and Becky's bulb book to drool over and decide what I want.

Blue, how far apart did you plant your tulips? I love the clustered look you have.

I was driving in town yesterday and took special notice of people's flowerbeds. All plants were in single little rows with space between each of plants. Too "organized." This cottage gardening has become addictive! lol. No one in town has one!

At least this summer I've learned what does and doesn't work for a cottage garden. Can't wait until next year! lol

I've planted bulbs every fall for the past 15 years, and sporadically before that. I've had spectacular successes and some dismal failures. I can too grow tulips, I'm just not going to plant any more. Tulips in pots were eaten by the new puppy this year just before they bloomed, after all that chilling and trouble. Well, maybe I'll plant a few purple.

Here's a bulb gardening tip or two: Start with a handful of any bulb you THINK you might like, then add hundreds in the next years of the ones that do well the first year or two. Do a little advance research on which bulbs work best in your zone. NC State has some excellent documentation.
The cheapest bulbs of one kind from a vendor, for example daffodils, are the best buy. The most expensive bulbs are either new cultivars or increase very slowly. They're usually bought by bulb collectors who will enter the flowers in shows, or people with lots of money who want something few others have. The cheapies are oldies but goodies that will return year after year. (I don't mean cheap bulbs like from a discount vendor, I'm talking about a reliable Bulb catalog that lists some daffodils for less than a dollar each and some for $2.50 each in the same class. Also notice whether you're comparing different classes of bulbs. Large flowered daffodils cost more than Minatures because of the size and rate of increase.)
Figure out where ugly foliage can be hidden by something else, either by overplanting with annuals like forget-me-nots or Shirley poppies, or planting perennials nearby or in front that will hide the dying foliage. You can overplant right over the bulbs with shallow rooted annuals; perennials you need to know where the roots are going to go. A daylily on top of a daffodil will discourage it -- give it a little room.

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: My blog has lots of Bulbs, this links to the Hyacinths

The most reliable bulbs for me are:

Daffodils
Asiatic and Oriental lilies
Croscomia ('Lucifer' and 'Jenny Bloom' particularly)
Ipheion
Scillia siberica
Scilla hispanica
Iris reticulata
Galanthus

Zone 7b in North Carolina.

I love Dutch irises. I plant them beside nepeta, then the foliage and flowers of that covers the foliage. Dutch irises are deer resistant, too. I've had the best blooms from the dark blue varieties. They multiply each year.

Spanish bluebells are another favorite. The foliage goes very quickly on those so I don't worry about hiding it. When the foliage yellows and "melts" on the ground, I just rake the foliage away. The bulbs are very small, so it's easy to plant a mass if you just dig out a 4" deep circle and space the bulbs all at once, then move to another area to repeat another mass. Inexpensive bulbs compared to tulips and daffodils. You can tuck them in around shrubs, too. Quick to multiply.

Cameron

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Oops -- forgot to say that I plant in mid to late October here. I sowed larkspur and poppy seeds at the same time last year.

Cameron

When I began to growing bulbs, I did as Nell suggested. I ordered 5-10 bulbs of 10 different types the first year planted each type in a different spot. Doing this helps you figure out what you like and what grows well where you live.

When fist read Brent and Becky's catalog, probably 20 years ago, I was surprised to learn that daffodils are divided into many divisions, according to their flower shape and heritage. They grow nearly almost everywhere, as long as there is some winter. Unlike the lovely tulips, critters don't bother them.

I love the little early bloomers like February Gold and Jetfire. They bloom in February here, just when you need a pick me up.

Of course, daffodils are just one type of plant. There are so many different types that are so appealing, it's very hard to choose. You have very good advice about favorites in this thread.

Nell, thanks for the tips! I'm going to pour over your blog later tonight. I love me some Hyacinth, always have. Can I "force" them indoors any time of the year and keep them inside?

Do you recommend any good catalogs for me to order bulbs from other than B&Bs?

Won, those Bluebells are beautiful. Blue has become our favorite color in the garden. Just today my dh and I were talking about how stunning our garden (it has a sidewalk in the middle) would look with nothing but blue flowers.

Thanks spazzy and Pam. Daffodils are definitely on my list. I've always loved them.

PLEASE someone...tell my why some of my flowers (the flower itself) are fading in color! lol. I'm going nuts trying to find out why so I can stop whatever I'm doing wrong. :)

I think perhaps it's just the sun and heat fading your flowers. Are flowers in shade fading? Are buds opening faded, or are mature flowers fading?

You can force hyacinths at any time, but bulbs are usually available only in the fall. You know the chilling routine, right? Once forced, they can be planted in the garden or tossed. You can't 'reforce' them once they bloom.

Nell

Oakleyok to get that clustered look just toss the bulbs onto the bed and let them land where they will. Then plant them where they fell. That will result in a natural flow and pattern for them. You may need to space out the ones that land right next to eachother of course.

One of the most important things for getting a knockout show from your tulips is to not skimp on the number you plant. That is why I suggested getting only a few of the pricey ones and lots of the cheap ones. The big box stores always carry the reliable standards and at the end of the season, usually fall, they will discount them to nearly 50%. That's the only way I could afford to be so lavish with the bulbs. So far I have 2,000 sping bulbs.

Oh, a back saving tip... if you are going to plant a drift of bulbs and you do not already have perennials in the bed you can simply dig out a swath area and liberally sprinkle the bulbs in then cover the whole lot of them at once. Otherwise a bulb planter for $20 is your best friend. ;-)

Ok I just had to post a follow up to my follow up. These are a couple of pictures of the tulip fields here. I go every year to see them because I think anything this beautiful must be seen. The fields of intense pure color are simply breathtaking to see and go on for miles.

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Fox, I've seen people mention the chilling thing, but I don't know what it is.

I really don't have any plants in the shade except for some Caladium, the side of the bed that shades first by an hour or two has a faded bloom on the carpet rose.

Blue, I've been eyeing the bulb planters. Will definitely get one.

I love those tulips!! I'm not a fan of orange but the orange, yellow and red tulips together are beautiful.

Oakley, I put an explanation about the heat and sun effects in different areas of the nation in another thread.

Google for forcing bulbs, it's too long to address in a single thread and much better explained in numerous web sites.

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: Heat Zones