The whole "spring bulb" and "fall bulb" labels can be confusing. Tulips/Daffodils/Crocus/Hyacinth and the like, for example - planted in the fall, but people generally call them spring bulbs because that's when they bloom. However, the bulbs you see for sale in the fall are the hardy plants that generally want a cold period and will survive the winter and come back year after year, like those I mentioned above. What you see for sale in the spring are the non-hardy bulbs and bulb-like plants that will not survive in the ground over winter, such as Dahlias, Caladiums, Elephant Ears, Glads, Cannas. Some people treat these as annuals, and others lift the roots and store them from year to year, replanting each spring. Of course, as you move further south, eventually you reach a zone for each of these things where it will be hardy outside through the winter, i.e., they will be perennials - for Glads and Cannas, we're probably talking US zone 7, a little further south for the other things mentioned. Still, they are traditionally sold in the spring because the merchants want to cover the whole range of both cold and warm zones with one sales period. The confusion comes because there are a lot of things you see packaged bare-root like bulbs which are for sale in both fall and spring - such as the Astilbe and Bleeding Heart you mention above and lots of other perennials. As you say, the packages look identical with the same contents and one shows fall planting and the other shows spring planting. These are the things that are successfully divided and transplanted any time they are dormant, which is from fall until they start to grow in the spring, so they are sold at both times. Lilies are a true bulb that is also in this category - the bulb never goes completely dormant, so they can put out new roots any time you transplant and will do well either spring or fall planted. As Cranebill mentions above, the best results for any given growing season will come if you get them in during the fall before, but I have always had success with them in the spring. Also, as Cranebill mentions above, if in doubt when spring comes, plant it anyway. The worst that can happen is that it won't grow, which is ASSURED if you don't plant it. - Steve

mazerolm, people tell me I have a short growing season! You must have a love for the garden and flowers to make the effort in z3. It's all looking so good! This year I've had some "no shows". Maybe because of our record breaking rain? Last fall I planted 50 Muscari, comosum plumosum and 10 Ornithalum that I haven't seen yet. They may still show up, but the clock is ticking! Still have alliums around the yard.... One patch of white giant alliums..... Hyacinthoides hispanica

John, Thank for another wonderful, Successful and full of goodies, Swap. Thank you Pam for taking care of me when i had a small boo boo. The lemonade worked wonders. I am doing well. Thanks to the group for filling the tables for the general swap. Les, I could not sit down to have food, but i did get to taste your rosemary bread. Yum as always. I missed a lot of our regulars. Hope we meet in the fall swap. Thank you again for a wonderful swap.

Lorelei, our most current hostess is moving, and we tried briefly to find someone else to take over. If you want to do this, please step up. I agree.....I like the way we have always worked and were able to plan everything here on Gardenweb. It was nice being able to pre-trade. There is a local garden group on Facebook that has a swap once a month if anyone would like to migrate to them. I believe it is this Sunday at Hardberger Park. https://www.facebook.com/events/3033458183572835?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22group%22%7D]%7D