Here are ten of the best bulbs to plant in fall. Two drawbacks are associated with growing alliums. The first is that the larger the bulb, the more expensive it is. So filling your garden with them can get pricey. The other drawback is that with some varieties, such as ‘Purple Sensation’, the foliage starts fadubg even before the flowers have bloomed. So, to avoid that problem, plant those bulbs behind or between other plants to hide the unsightly allium foliage.
USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8 Color Varieties: White, pink, purple, yellow Sun Exposure: Full sun Soil Needs: Average, slightly acidic, well-draining
Because they are fall bloomers, don’t wait too long to plant your bulbs. Late summer is preferable to late autumn. You might even get flowers the first year if you plant early enough. If you can find a spot that receives only afternoon sun, you’ll get the most abundant blooms. The bulbs benefit from being divided every four years or so. Dividing will keep the bulb clumps healthy and prevent the center of the clump from dying out.
USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8Color Varieties: Lavender, pink, whiteSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Sandy loam or rocky, well-draining
English bluebells are fragrant and make wonderful cut flowers. They tend to be the more heat sensitive of the two and should be grown in partially shaded areas or at least given regular waterings. The flowers bloom along only one side of the stalk, eventually causing the stalk to bend under their weight. Spanish bluebells are tougher plants and can take a bit more sun. They hold their flower stalks upright amid sword-like leaves. Beautiful as they are, they lack the fragrance of English bluebells. Both species will bloom from mid-spring to early summer.
USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8Color Varieties: Bluish-lavender, violet-blueSun Exposure: Partial shadeSoil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining
Not all varieties of daffodils are the trademark brilliant yellow flower. You can get ruffled pink blooms, long-necked trumpet daffodils, tiny three-inch charmers, and more. Mail-order daffodil bulbs can be more expensive than the bulbs often sold at garden centers, but they will also be larger, which means more and larger blooms. Of course, you could always be patient and wait a few years for the smaller and less expensive bulbs to mature.
USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8Color Varieties: Pink, white, yellow, orangeSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining
One issue with Dutch iris is that the flowers only bloom for about two weeks in the late spring to early summer. So consider planting a large drift to really enjoy them while they’re around. They make great cut flowers, though the blooms only last up to five days after cutting.
USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 9Color Varieties: Blue, maroon, violet, white, yellowSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Rich, moderately moist, well-draining
The subtle Fritillaria meleagris (snakehead or checkered lily), pictured, produces delicate bell-like flowers that dangle from slender stems. You can naturalize these bulbs in a lawn, though you can’t mow until bulb foliage has faded. Don’t remove the spent blooms, as the plants can self-sow to increase your patch. Fritillaria imperialis (crown imperial) is a large bulb that produces a three-to four-foot single stem topped by a a cluster of yellow, orange, or red bells and a spiky green top knot. Plant the bulbs at a depth that’s two to three times the height of the bulb. The bulbs have a slight depression in their centers, so plant them sideways so that water doesn’t collect in the depression and rot the bulb. It can be easier to dig one large hole and randomly space the bulbs at the bottom rather than digging individual holes for each bulb. All parts of the plant emit an unpleasant odor, so they are not suitable as indoor cut flowers. As with most long-lived bulbs, fritillaria does not like being disturbed, except to divide large clumps. Also, be sure to wear gardening gloves when working with fritillaria bulbs, as they can cause skin irritation on some people.
USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8 (snakehead) and 5 to 8 (crown imperial)Color Varieties: Purple, white, gray (snakehead), and orange, red, yellow (crown imperial)Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining
Don’t plant the bulbs deeply; two inches deep will do. They are fleshy bulbs that can dry out quickly because they are so small, so water them well after planting. And keep them watered until the ground freezes or is covered by snow. Once established, they won’t need any extra care. The bulbs multiply rapidly, so if you’d like to divide them do so in late summer while they are dormant. Some bulbs have a tendency to poke above the soil when they want to be divided.
USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8Color Varieties: Shades of blue and purple, whiteSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Loamy, well-draining
Lilies generally flower in the summer, and you can extend the bloom period by planting lily species that bloom at different times. For instance, start with the early season L. longiflorum x Asiatic hybrid (Asiatic lilies). As these fade, Lilium martagon (Turk’s cap lilies or martagons), will begin to open with their backward curved petals. Lilium longiflorum (Trumpet lilies) herald peak summer. And don’t be without the late-blooming Lilium hybrids (Oriental lilies), the most fragrant of them all.
USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9, depending on the varietyColor Varieties: Orange, pink, red, white, yellow, purpleSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Rich, moist, well-draining
Plant your snowdrop bulbs in groups of 12 or more about two to three inches deep. A single bulb won’t make much of an impact in the garden, but a blanket of them looks lovely in the spring. You won’t need to divide snowdrop bulbs. However, if you want to move some, immediately after flowering is the best time to dig them up. Don’t remove the foliage until it has considerably yellowed and degraded, as this gives the plant a chance to store nutrients for the next year.
USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 7Color Varieties: White, pale greenSun Exposure: Full sun to partial shadeSoil Needs: Humusy, moderately moist, well-draining
The bulbs will bloom with their star-shaped flowers in the late spring to early summer. When planting them in the fall, position the pointed end of each bulb upward, and plant the bulb about four inches deep. Then, water your bulbs well. The foliage will begin to degrade by mid-summer, but don’t remove it. The plant is still using the foliage to store nutrients for next year’s blooms..
USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8Color Varieties: Pale blue, lavender, whiteSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Needs: Moist, well-draining
