My local English Gardens store has been selling their spring bulbs on clearance for 70% off, not to mention the $.10 mystery bulb grab bag. I spent nearly $30 at that store, and have been planting all week. My yard is gonna be visible from space ! I am really really excited about having 50 tulips, crocuses, muscari, alium, and mystery bulbs! yeah! I would plant more, but it is getting to the point where I would be digging up old bulbs for the new ones. Who else is overdoing it for spring?
Not sure where you are, but a bit of prevention may be in order. Beware the evil treerat. After a similar episode of plantitude some years ago, I was rewarded by nada come Spring. The treerats ate the garden. Sprinkle pepper, or arsenic, or something else that repels the little buggers over your flower beds. 
I no longer have outside cats and live in the woods. There are now many, many squirrels and rabbits. Others who grow carnivorous plants outside complain mightly of squirrels destroying them, but I’ve had no problem.
BTW, armidillos dig up new plantings, burrowing about in the loose soil.
So far I’ve planted 50 daffodils, 24 tulips, 7 hyacinths and 2 irises. Not too many things will grow in my yard, but I’ve had at least fair luck with these in the past.
I don’t understand tulips. A few came with the house (I’ve been here four springs). They came up every year, but never bloomed until last spring, when they were gorgeous. I’ve been told that tulip bulbs “burrow” into the ground and need to be dug up and replanted in order to keep blooming (that doesn’t fit with the evidence). I’ve heard that they can only be expected to bloom for a couple of years (also doesn’t fit the evidence). Does anyone know what it takes to keep the tulips blooming?
In a horrible incident this summer, a guy who was supposed to mow the yard cut down my forsythias, my gardenias, and my single pitiful azalea. He chopped them down to ground level. I’m hoping they’ll come back, but I’m not counting on it. I’m hoping the daffodils and tulips will ease the pain when spring brings back the memory of my murdered shrubbery.
I’ve noticed that the native iris bloom much better when they’ve had a very wet Spring.
My daughter and I planted about 200 tulips, 50 daffodils and a couple dozen narcissus. Also about 10 giant allium.
I had not thought about squirrels. I will sprinkle dried blood around around. That will put the fear into them.
And then they multiply! I love bulbs.
Send us a
picture in the spring.
I’m fairly clueless about gardening, although trying to learn. I inherited a very overgrown garden that I had to clear out. We’re talking literally hundreds of sacks of jungle carted away over the course of the summer.
How late is too late to plant bulbs? (Bearing in mind I’m in southern England and we’re already getting some frost overnight).
I know I am little late replying. I am planting bulbs for as long as they are on sale, and I can still get a shovel into the earth. The way I figure it, they are going to be in the ground all winter, so temperature should notbe a problem. The later I plant, the cheaper the experiment. Around now in Michigan I can get 10 tulips for a dollar. This makes me a little irresponsible and giddy.
The horticulturist who writes an Ohio-specific column in our local paper mentioned today that you can plant bulbs here until early December. I haven’t looked it up, but I would guess that our winters are probably colder than yours.
I know that I’ve read about people planting as late as Christmas and still having flowers in the spring, but that’s probably pushing it.
GT