Spring is a time of renewal and emergence. It is when the earth opens and the lovely spring bulbs begin shooting up through the surface with their bright and bold colors. There are many types of spring bulbs to plant around the landscape. With each bulb blooming at specific times of spring, you can have flowers and colors throughout the season. Have fun watching the tiny blooms shoot up for their spring arrival.
One of the first spring bulbs to sprout through winters layer is the crocus. This small and delicate lavender flower has a scarlet-colored stigma, which are dried and made into a common spice called saffron. Crocus is a spring bloomer that spreads each year around the yard to create small patches of their blooms. They look lovely nestled within a perennial garden or along a front flower bed to help fill in the hard-to-reach areas of the bed.
With their teacup-shaped bloom, the daffodil is a must when you plant your spring bulbs. There are many shades and heights of daffodils, including the miniature daffodil that grows as little as 3 inches. Some daffodils have frilled edging in shades of peach and pink, while others have more than one bloom on each stem.
Daffodils look best when they are scattered throughout the space, rather than perfectly arranged. An informal way to plant daffodils, suggested by the University of Vermont Extension, is to throw the bulbs over the shoulder and plant them where they happen to land within the garden or yard. Daffodils are larger bulbs which should be placed 4 to 6 inches apart.
Tulips are a classic spring bulb, which grow in a wide range of colors. They have between two to six leaves and a straight green stem. The interesting colors include variegated tulips that have more than one color swirled together or others with petals fringed in white.
Tulip bulbs are equally elegant when grown in a symmetrical arrangement, or massed in a bed of all one color. When they are planted along the side of the home or out building, a line of tulips instantly adds a bright burst of color and texture to the space. Tulips also look stunning lining a front walkway or garden path. Have fun mixing the colors together to create your own bulb designs within your landscape.