Fall effort worth work for spring result

During the warm days of early October it is difficult to think about doing gardening work that won’t be apparent until spring. Preparation and action over the next two months, however, can lead to a beautiful display of blooms in your yard.
There are many bulbs from which to choose. Chosen wisely, blooming time can be extended over weeks and months and the bulbs will return year after year. To get a good selection, you might want to purchase bulbs as soon as you can and store them in a cool place until you are ready to plant them. If you store bulbs in your refrigerator, be sure that you don’t store apples there also. Apples produce a gas that is fatal to bulb performance.
Daffodils are a part of the Narcissus species. They are very reliable bulbs and varieties can be found that bloom in late winter and into spring.  Paper whites, also called narcissus, bloom earliest. The have a very fragrant smell and the bulbs multiply over the years. The next to bloom usually are commonly called Jonquil. They have multiple small yellow flowers and also have a sweet odor. 
The flower we most frequently refer to as Daffodil has a single large bloom per stem. ‘King Alfred’ is a variety most people know. There are many varieties including yellow with orange center, white with orange center, yellow with yellow center and more variations. Some garden centers sell a mixture of bulbs that are designed to bloom at different times. Most Daffodils tend to multiply over the years.
To assure continued bloom year after year, it is necessary to let the bulb foliage die back to provide energy to the bulb. One way to handle the problem of the unsightly foliage is to plant Daffodils along side day lilies. By the time the Daffodils have finished blooming, the day lily foliage will be tall enough to mask the dying foliage.
Hyacinths do well in our area. We have had bulbs that were planted more than ten years ago and bloom year after year. I like to plant Johnny-jump-ups, a smaller member of the viola family with Hyacinths. Purple ones blend nicely with purple Hyacinths; white with any color.
Grape Hyacinth, botanical name Muscari, will provide bloom year after year. They also multiply rapidly and need to be kept under control. Some garden catalogs show them planted with tulips. Color choices include purple, blue, and white.
Tulips are beautiful in the spring, but probably should be thought of as an annual in our area. Sometimes they will reappear over several years, but it is never a sure thing. When thinking about the expense of buying tulip bulbs every year, rationalize it this way: you can purchase 100 top quality tulip bulbs for less than the cost of one Big Twelve football ticket. The enjoyment may not be comparable, but it lasts a lot longer.
Allium, also known as Flowering Onion, is an unusual bulb that should be grown more often. It is in the garlic family and produces three to ten inch flowering heads on about 20 inch stems. Colors include purple, blue, pink or white. Since they bloom in the summer, Allium should be planted with perennials that will mask their foliage as they wither after blooming. Something bushy like some of the Salvias or yarrows might be considered.
Late October and November are ideal times to plant bulbs. To extend the bloom time, especially for Daffodils, you might consider planting some in December and if you find them on sale at a good price in January, plant them then. All bulbs need to be planted in sandy loam soil that drains well. It is a good idea to amend the soil with bulb food or bone meal dug in several inches below where you will plant the bulbs. Depth of planting is usually indicated on the package. It will usually be deeper than you prefer to dig, but it’s worth the effort. Steve Dobbs recommends a digging a hole 8 to 10 inches for regular size tulips. Points of bulbs should face up.  Water them well to settle the soil after you plant, and occasionally during dry winters. After bloom is finished bulbs prefer to be kept on the dry side, so don’t plant them where you will be watering at lot all summer.
Bulbs should be planted in groups. Groups of five or seven will usually make a good showing. Try not to be too symmetrical.  After you place a few on the ground, stand back and visualize how they will look once foliage appears.
If you plant some bulbs this fall, even if it seems to be a chore, you will be glad you did when spring arrives next year.