“The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”by Robert Burns

This quote couldn’t be more fitting for me today. Some of you may remember the post I wrote back at the end of September entitled “To Bouquet or not to Bouquet” in which I described two different methods of planting. In this post, I included photos from my own planting expedition in my front yard. I planted over 300 bulbs that day of a variety of types, heights, and colors and boy was I proud of myself!

After a long afternoon of dirt and dust, digging and “troweling”, I rewarded myself to an evening of laying on the floor, playing with my girls and resting my tired muscles, all the time well-aware of the fact that I still had a bucket of bulbs sitting on the back steps waiting to be planted. This bucket of bulbs included a mixture of muscari and scilla, a beautiful combination which I intended to plant in a layer above the more deeply-planted tulip bulbs. As I lay there on the floor with crumbs of Goldfish crackers in my hair, I promised myself I would get the rest of those bulbs planted within the next day or two.

Unfortunately, life got in the way and days turned to weeks and weeks to months. It is now the beginning (almost middle, eek!) of December and I have yet to revisit my landscape. While filling the bird feeder the other day, I happened upon that bucket of beautiful bulbs and noticed something different about them: not ONE SCILLA bulb remained! The gorgeous blue-purple outer covering lay in shards all over the porch steps but hardly any resemblance of  anything “plantable”.

It’s no mystery what caused the disappearance of my scilla bulbs. We have more squirrels than you can shake a stick at in my yard (and believe me, I do!) and while they provide endless entertainment for my 17-month old daughters, I would prefer they not mess with my gardening expeditions. All of this time, I’ve known scilla to be deer resistant, which I simply assumed meant rodent resistant, too. Apparently not MY rodents. The good news is, they left the muscari completely untouched! Smart little buggers…I guess I can’t be too mad at them. After all, if I had just gotten myself back out in the dirt as I had originally intended, they might have lived to see another day. Instead, I practically spread a tablecloth on the back porch steps and lit dinner candles for them to enjoy.

So the moral of this story is two-fold. Number one: rodents eat scilla. No doubt about it. Number two: my new take on the above-mentioned quote is “The best laid plans of men often go astray because of squirrels.”

With hands in the dirt and head in the clouds,

One of the most sought-after colors in the garden, blue blooms are something to truly behold! I had actually begun preparing a blog post on blue-flowering bulbs when I received the September edition of the Martha Stewart Living magazine in the mail just the other day. I was quite pleased to see her article (found on page 31 of her magazine) which focused completely on a “blue bloom” bulb planting project at her farm, preformed last November. In this bulb planting project, Martha along with various members of the International Flower Bulb Centre and the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center mixed together a number of different low-growing early, mid, and late spring bloomers of different blue hues. All of the bulbs used in this project were also extremely good naturalizers, meaning that they will muliply over time and increase their flower show year after year. I thought some of my readers may be interested in these specific types of bulbs and also where they could purchase them:

1. Grecian Windflower (Anemone blanda)

These bulbs produce countless daisy-like flowers atop short (3-5″ tall) stems. The gorgeous blue-purple hue will begin to appear in early to mid-spring. Anemone bulbs should be soaked overnight prior to planting to soften the hard outer shell and encourage growth.

2. Glory-of-the-Snow (Chinodoxa luciliae)

The white centers of these pale blue flowers resemble stars in the early spring. Although on rather short stems (6-8″ tall), these little beauties last extremely long as a cut flower as well.

3. Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)

One of the most tried and true of the spring blooming bulbs, the grape hyacinth multiplies rapidly and adds a subtle fragrance to the mid-spring garden.

4. Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica)

These bright blue flowers adorn multi-stemmed plants among thick, somewhat shiny foliage. Another great naturalizer, these bulbs will come back bigger and better each spring.

5. Woodland Crocus (Crocus tommasinianum)

One of the first signs of spring, the woodland crocus begin to bloom in early spring, sometimes peeking through a light layer of snow. The more sun these plants receive, the wider the blooms will open.

6. Bicolor Grape Hyacinth (Muscari latifolium)

This “variation on a theme” is a relative of the typical grape hyacinth with a twist. Its blooms produce a two-tone look, with a darker almost black bottom and a lighter blue top to each flower. The sturdier stems of these give it a longer bloomtime than most spring blooming bulbs.

7. Cantab Dwarf Dutch Iris (Iris reticulata ‘Cantab’)

A blue beauty that definitely could’ve been added to Martha’s mix, this dwarf iris has one of the most exquisite forms and colors in the spring garden. Its delicate blooms and deep green foliage are one of my personal favorites.

8. Blue Allium (Allium azureum)

Definitely not for a groundcover area as in Martha’s case but still worth mentioned, the Blue Allium is just as impressive in color as it is in stature. Its flower-heads are much more petite than those of its relatives and sit atop stems which max out at two feet tall.

So there you have it! I’m definitely going to be trying this mix (with a few of my own additions) this fall. I’ll be sure to post pictures this spring. In the garden is one place I definitely don’t mind “feeling blue”

Until next time,

P.S. You can read more about Martha’s project by picking up the latest copy of her Living Magazine or by heading to her blog.

This past weekend, as I was “tidying up” the yard after weeding the garden, I stumbled upon an elephant ear which never got planted when I brought it home a few months back. In my personal experience, I have always found elephant ears to be a little tricky to get sprouted in a cooler Midwest climate. Being a plant native to more tropical regions, its no wonder they require large amounts of heat and water to sprout! So you can imagine my surprise when this is the condition in which I found my elephant ear, utterly neglected and void of soil:

What a fighter! I have since placed him in a large pot of soil in hopes that  he’ll continue to grow in his new home as marvelously as he did sitting under my bench on hard concrete in my backyard. I’ll be sure to keep you posted!

Until next time,

Have a comment to share with other readers? Feel free to post below. Have a question specifically for Bridget? Feel free to email her at bridget@bulbblog.com!

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.

~Anne Bradstreet

Therefore, I wanted to share with you a few of the spring-flowering bulbs I can hardly WAIT to get in the ground this autumn!

La Bizar Single Late Tulip

Talk about an eye-opener, this tulip is sure to catch the attention of any visitors to my garden this spring. The use of varying colors of green is often over-looked in many gardens but can make quite the impact! I can just see this tulip, blooming along side my brilliant purple allium in great contrast (since they be in bloom at the same time). This particular tulip has been developed by a Holland farmer and is an exclusive item only to Holland Bulb Farms. I especially love the inner texture of the bloom, which to me somewhat resembles Coxcomb, giving it the nickname “Broccoli Tulip” in some dutch circles.

Ice Cream Double Late Tulip

You don’t need much imagination to figure out the name of this tulip! Who could resist this amusing late bloomer? I’ve grown these once before, with quite good success but only tried a few since I was unsure
of the outcome. Its extremely exquisite frothy center is full of petals upon petals of white, easily resembling a scoop of ice cream. I’m
thinking I’ll be adding this to the garden near my back door, where it will be sure to get noticed. Pairing it with something else unique with similar colors (such as the Apricot Parrot Tuilp) may be just what that garden bed needs.

Snowdrops (Galanthus)

Any oldie but goodie, the Snowdrops are a must have for me and I
seem to add more every year. There is nothing like seeing that first
plant sprout in the late winter/early spring to give you hope of warmer tomorrows. I think I may even try these under one of the evergreens in my back yard this year where I can’t seem to get grass to grow if my life depended on it… And it is great because it will naturalize/multiply and take care of that problem for me.

Minnow Rock Garden Daffodil

Again, one of my yearly favorites, the miniature daffodils are quick to put a smile on this gardener’s face. These short little guys are great for edging my front garden beds and their sturdy stems make them excellent for cutting and placing in bud vases (I always am sure to plant plenty so that I can cut them without leaving any holes in the garden . The best part about these tiny lovelies? They’re fragrant! Aren’t they so stinking cute?

Mallee Pink Daffodil

Who wouldn’t love the elegant and feminine charm of this newly-introduced daffodil! I’m thinking this will look perfect among my mid-spring blooming tulips of white. Never having grown this one in the past, I’m unsure of the perennializing abilities of this particular variety but its a risk I’m willing to take!

What are you dreaming of planting this fall?

Until next time,

Have a comment to share with other readers? Feel free to post below. Have a question specifically for Bridget? Feel free to email her at bridget@bulbblog.com!

A healthy way to serve up a family favorite!

Springtime Asparagus Pizza

Our second place winner in the Vegetables Category submits her recipe from Columbia, South Carolina. She is currently waiting for her asparagus crowns to mature so that she can begin to harvest them out of her own garden! Perhaps you could do the same

Ingredients:
1 Lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
2 c. water
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, divided
1 c. minced asparagus tips and pieces
12″ refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese
8 slices prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces
8 slices brie cheese
1 T. olive oil
1T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. fresh arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine lemon sliced and water. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Drain well.
2. In a skillet, saute garlic in 2 t. olive oil until soft. Add asparagus pieces and cook, stirring occasionally until tender (about 2 minutes).
3. Heat over to 450° F and place pizza crust on a lightly oiled baking sheet or pizza stone. Spread lemon slices evenly over crust and then sprinkle with mozzarella. Spread asparagus and prosciutto evenly over mozzarella. Top with brie slices. Sprinkle with 1 t. olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
4. Toss arugula leaves with remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
5. Remove pizza from oven and top with arugula. Serves 4.

The taste of this pizza is beyond explanation! Your kitchen will transform into a gourmet bistro when you serve this treat! Mary was extremely excited to win and says she has no idea how she will ever decide what to spend her $50.00 Holland Bulb Farms gift card on Good luck, Mary. Sounds like a great problem to have!

Until next time,

Not only wonderful for the taste buds, but quite pretty to look at, too!

Lip-Smacking Strawberry Soup

I’m excited to tell you about the 2nd place winner in our Fruits Category. This recipe was submitted by Kenneth of Washington, D.C. An avid strawberry grower, he says he would love to grow them all for this recipe but it requires “a heck of a lot of ‘em” and therefore more of an abundant harvest than he has ever achieved He says this recipe is a great, refreshing treat on a warm summer day. See for yourself:

Ingredients:
For the soup:
1 lb. strawberries
Juice from 1/2 lime
Dash of vanilla
1/2 T. fresh chopped ginger
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. plain yogurt

For the cookies:
Wonton wrappers (square is best)
Vegetable Oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 T. fresh crushed ginger
Dash of vanilla to taste
Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

To make the soup: Add soup ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust flavor using sugar, if desired. Adjust consistency using orange juice or cream. Place in fridge to chill.

To make the cookies: Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Simmer sugar, water, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger to make a syrup. Shape wonton wrappers into straws; seal edge with a bit of water. Make sure the hole in the straw is large enough to puff up during frying (Tip: use a chop stick to help roll the straw.) Make two straws per person being served, plus a few extra for backups Fry straws in heated oil for a few second (until the wonton wrapper turns light brown). Using a chopstick is the easiest way to remove the crisps from the pan of oil. Extra wrappers may be fashioned into fun shapes and fried as well, as desired. Toss crisps in ginger syrup and serve with chilled soup. Garnish with crisps and sprigs of spearmint…or a few fresh strawberries! Great for kids who enjoy drinking from straws!

Thanks again for the amazing recipe, Kenneth and congrats on your $50.00 gift card to Holland Bulb Farms! Perhaps you can purchase some more strawberries???

Until next time,

Mmmmm...bruschetta! My mouth starts to water just looking at this!

Spring Harvest Bruschetta

The first place entry in our Vegetables Category comes to us from Elinor in Fiskdale, Massachusetts. She says that we couldn’t have chosen a more enthusiastic family for growing their own produce. Her husband recently built eight new raised beds in addition to their large backyard garden for this year’s growing season! This recipe was so delicious and makes use of so many ingredients grown in the garden…a perfect combination! In fact, Elinor tells us that all of the vegetable in this recipe were grown in her very own garden last spring! Give it a try and see what you think:

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
3/4 t. honey
2 1/2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 T. cider vinegar
1 t. coarse ground mustard
1/8 t. sea salt
1/16 t. fresh ground pepper

For the bruschetta:
3 c. spring greens, torn
3/4 c. fresh raw peas
4 stalks raw asparagus, sliced on the bias
3/4 c. chopped strawberries
4 strips cob-smoked bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
8 slices rustic bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted
6 oz. crumbled goat cheese
1 c. pea tendrils, for topping
fresh herb sprigs, for garnish
whole strawberries, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until well combined.
2. In a medium bowl, combine spring greens, peas, and asparagus. Toss with dressing. Add strawberries and bacon. Mix gently until combined.
3. Spread topping on toasted bread slices and then top with goat cheese.
4. Broil bruschetta on high until cheese is slightly melted. Top with pea tendrils, garnish with herb sprigs and strawberries. Serve immediately.

Thanks again, Elinor, for sharing your wonderful recipe with us and congratulations on your $100.00 Holland Bulb Farms gift card! Here’s to spring!

Until next time,

Ok. So you’ve decided to try your hand at forcing some flower bulbs (or your lack of time to plant the fall bulbs you purchased has decided it for you). Let’s start the process!

1. First off, you will want to decided HOW and WHERE you want to chill your bulbs. This will be largely dependent on what “chilling” resources you have available to you and also how much space you can afford to use. Ask yourself these questions: do I have any location (such as a garage, basement, shed, attic, etc.) that remains 50°F (10°C) or below and is fairly dark? Keep in mind that this area should not receive freezing temperatures for any length of time. If you do not have any such location, a refrigerator will work as well but is a tad bit more prohibitive based on a lack of space. Plus, depending on your family’s acceptance of your hobby, you may not want flower bulbs in your refrigerator besides last night’s leftovers
2. Chilling Temperature: Regardless if you are chilling them in a refrigerator or other location, it will be very
   

   An inexpensive digital thermometer can take the guess work out of selecting an area adequate for cold storage.

   important to keep tabs on the temperature in the given area. I recommend purchasing a digital thermometer (you can find one fairly inexpensive at your local garden center or hardware store) which you can place in the designated area. Look for one with an extension wire so that you can place the receptor directly in the chilling area. Or better yet, if you’re willing to invest a little more, purchase a wireless thermometer which can receive the transmittal several hundred feet away to easily keep tabs on the location without being near it. Most of these thermometers are available for under $30.00. Ideally, the temperature in your chilling area should always remain between 35°F and 48°F.

3. Refrigerator Chilling: One thing to keep in mind about chilling the bulbs in a refrigerator is the presence of produce (fresh fruits and vegetables). As fruits and vegetables ripen, they produce a gas called ethylene. This gas is somewhat a double-edged sword as it helps to signal to other fruits and vegetables to ripen but also can cause produce to ripen too quickly, therefore causing it to rot. Remember the old trick of placing bananas in a paper bag to get them to ripen faster? This is because you are essentially trapping the ethylene in a small space. This same thing is happening in your refrigerator at all times, giving the ethylene no where to go. Unfortunately, this gas has the same affect on bulbs and therefore, you will want to keep your refrigerator as free from produce as possible during the chilling period. This makes chilling your bulbs in a refrigerator a little more difficult unless you have a secondary refrigerator where you do not store your apples, pears, salads, etc.
   

   Be sure to place the bulbs in soil so that pointed tips are at the same level as the rim of the container.

4. Garage/Shed/Basement/Attic Chilling: Monitoring the temperature in an “uncontrolled” space will be extremely important. If there is a chance that the space will dip below freezing for any length of time, you will need to protect the bulbs by slightly insulating them. This can be done by wrapping the bulbs or pot (depending on how you are chilling, see following steps) with a material such as bubblewrap, a blanket, or burlap. It is EXTREMELY important that the bulbs are not allowed freeze solid. Doing so will cause them to rot and turn to mush once they thaw in the spring. Keep in mind that you are attempting to create the same process which would occur naturally outdoors artificially indoors. When a bulb is planted in a garden, even though the temperatures outdoors may dip below freezing for sometimes months at a time, this frost is evenly distributed over much more surface area. This means that the bulbs are not allowed to freeze as solid as they would if they were more exposed.
5. Next, you will want to determine how you will chill the bulbs. There are two different options: one is to plant the bulbs in pots prior to chilling them and the other is to plant them after the chilling period has past. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The advantage to planting them prior to chilling is that it will be unnecessary to do so later once the bulbs have been chilled. If the bulbs begin to sprout or grow roots, they will already be at home in the soil and not have to go through the stress of being planted once actively putting on growth. However, having the bulbs planted in pots unfortunately takes up quite a bit of room. If space is an issue, you may opt to chill them in paper bag. If this is your case, be sure to cut adequate ventilation in the bag to allow for the release of ethylene which the bulbs will naturally produce. Overall, chilling while planted in pots is recommended and tends to yield more favorable results.
6. If chilling the bulbs in pots, chose a container with adequate drainage holes. If the pot you desire to use does
   

   Tulip bulbs potted and ready for chilling!

   not have holes for drainage, place a 1-2″ layer of stone or gravel in the bottom prior to filling with the soil. One of the most important things to remember when growing bulbs (whether doing so through forcing or naturally outdoors) is that bulbs require moisture with perfect drainage in order to be success. Therefore, use a medium that has equal parts peat moss, potting soil, sand, and vermiculite/perlite. You can use a typical potting soil with the addition of peat moss. Fill the container, leaving just enough room at the top to plant the bulbs. The bulbs should be placed in the soil, pointed ends up as close together as possible. The tops of the bulbs should just reach the rim of the container. Once the bulbs are planted and covered with soil, water the bulbs thoroughly, allowing the soil to settle around the planted bulbs. I recommend keeping some kind of log, describing which bulbs are planted in which container, the date they were planted, and your anticipated date to bring them out of cold storage.

7. Once you have either placed your bulbs in ventilated bags or potted them, move the bulbs to your chilling area. If the area tends to receive too much light, place a large bucket or box over the pots to shield them as much as possible. If you have decided to plant your bulbs in containers, these containers can be planted out-of-doors in the ground, keeping the rim at the soil surface. This can be a good option if you are intending to keep the bulbs in the pots for the growing season but not necessarily in the garden. This will allow the bulbs to receive the chilling period but will make them “mobile” once they are in bloom to use on a patio or deck.
8. The forcing process will take approximately 10-16 weeks total. After 5 or 6 weeks, the roots will begin growing. Early blooming spring bulbs (such as crocus and snowdrops) will take about 12 weeks until they are in full bloom. Mid-spring bloomers (such as daffodils, hyacinth, and some tulips) will take approximately 14 weeks, whereas the rest of the tulips can require the full 16 weeks to bloom. I will discuss this in further detail in the next forcing blog article
9. While chilling the bulbs, it is important to remember to keep the bulbs damp but not wet. I recommend the “misting method” with a cheap plastic spray bottle. Be sure not to over water and try to keep in mind the amount of moisture the bulbs would be receiving if planted outdoors under a snow cover.

This should get you started in the forcing process. Once these steps are done, you’ll be well on your way and you can sit back and relax! I am so looking forward to the thrill of seeing those sprouts begin. In the next blog, I’ll talk about the number of cold weeks required for different varieties and also explore some other ideas relating to forcing. Good luck and have fun!

Until next time,

Many differnt fall bulbs can be forced in pots, including grape hyacinth.

We’ve all been there: for one reason or another you didn’t get to planting your spring-blooming bulbs this fall. Maybe you live in an apartment or condo where you have no yard, maybe the weather turned colder faster than you expected, or maybe you just plain didn’t get to it. Whatever the reason may be, it’s a bummer. This happened to me this year. Blame it on a lack of organization or the hectic nature of my life right now, regardless of the reasons why, I want to do something about. After all, I now know that when spring comes around and I see everyone else’s beautiful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth blooming, I’m going to be kicking myself every harder.

In thinking about this the other day and talking to one of my dear friends who shares my love for gardening, we decided to try our hand at forcing bulbs this year. In discussing this, we realized what a great idea for a blog this would be! So this is Part I of our journey in forcing bulbs. I receive MANY questions regarding how to force and thought my readers may find it interesting to be led through the process step-by-step with real life results. Who knows how we may fair! We may fail or we may succeed! But one thing is certain: we will definitely learn!

What is Forcing?

Most fall-planted bulbs (such as tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth) require a “chilling period” in order for them to bloom and grow correctly. In climates where the winter temperatures remain cold enough for an adequate period of time (zones 2 through 7), this “chilling period” is provided naturally when bulbs are planted outdoors. However, if planting outdoors is not an option or you are located in a zone 8, 9, or 10, this chilling needs to be provided some other way. When this is done, it is referred to as “forcing” the flower bulbs. Basically, you are forcing the bulbs to grow and bloom through artificial means.

Next week, I’ll review some general guidelines for getting started and the steps you should take to begin the chilling process. Come along with me on this journey! In fact, you could try this at home along with me with your own fall-planted bulbs. Be sure to let me know if you’ll be forcing your own bulbs and keep me posted on the progress!

Until next time,

The next type of spring-planted bulb that we are going to focus on is the Lilies. Perhaps one of the most well-known bulbs and one of the world’s best cutflowers, both Oriental and Asiatic Lilies are known for their spectacular color displays as well as their often intense, sweet fragrance. In this article, we’ll review the advantages of using these beauties in your garden, as well as different planting techniques and tips for growing them.

These Oriental Lilies are a good example of the form and coloration of many of these types of lilies.

Classification

As I mentioned, lilies are often remembered for their pleasant fragrance and their wonderful cutting ability. This can be said about both of the main classifications of lilies, Asiatics and Orientals, although Asiatics will not have as noticeable as a scent. Asiatic Lilies tend to bloom with more solid, bold colors and often have a bit smaller flower than the Orientals. They also bloom earlier than the Oriental Lilies, often one of the first in the summer blooming bulbs category in June to early July. The slightly shorter but more slender stature, as well as the ruffled edges to their petals make the Asiatic Lilies easy to identify. As for the Oriental Lilies, the flowers of these lilies are often speckled and bear multiple colors which fade in and out of the center.  Oriental Lilies also bloom slightly later than the Asiatics, often in mid-July to early-August.

Growing Lilies

Both Asiatic and Oriental Lilies are sold as bulbs and often still bear some of last year’s roots on them when purchased. The end opposite the roots will have a slight point to it, which should be pointed “upwards” when planted in the ground. When selecting lily bulbs, be sure to test them for firmness, as any time of freezing of the bulb during transport will make it soft and not usable. Both Asiatic and Oriental Lilies prefer full to partial shade, but are not extremely tolerant of direct sunlight which causes extreme heat. They are hardy in Zones 3 to 8b/9a and can be grown in warmer zones when protected from the sun and heat and given adequate amounts of water. In fact, one of the greatest characteristics about lilies is that they will perennialize even in zones that receive harsh winters! This unfortunately cannot be said for many of the spring-planting bulbs.

These Asiatic Lilies are just one example of the bold colors and exquisite form of these beauties of the summer garden!

Once you have selected a partially shaded to full sun location, be sure the soil is well-drained. If the soil in this area tends to be heavy or contain large amounts of clay, these bulbs will definitely benefit from amending the soil with organic materials such as peat moss and compost manure. If the bulbs are allowed to sit too wet, they will surely rot and turn to mush. Plant the bulbs pointed-side up approximately 4-6″ below the surface of the ground and water well. These bulbs should not need much supplemental watering from you unless a long drought period is experienced. Again, these  bulbs are winter hardy and therefore can be left in the ground year round to come back year after year!

Both Asiatic and Oriental Lilies can also be grown in containers. When planting them in planters or pots, the same general rules of thumb apply. Place the pot in a partial to full sun location, be sure that the soil it contains is well-drained, and plant 4-6″ below the surface of the soil. One thing to keep in mind if you live in a cooler climate (Zones 7 or above): While these bulbs require the cool temperatures of the winter, allowing them to freeze while being exposed in an above-ground container is not advisable. To protect these bulbs from this severe freezing, either move the container into a cool garage, basement, or cellar, or wrap it in a quilt or a good amount of burlap. Once the weather begins to warm in the springtime, either move the container to the outdoors or unwrap the planter.

One of the best-loved and definitely the most fragrant of the summer blooming bulbs, the characteristics of the lily bulbs make then something you definitely won’t want to leave out of your garden. Easy to grow and wonderful for fresh cut arrangements, these bulbs will become one of your favorite of the garden and will come back year after year for you to enjoy!

Until next time,

Have a question about lilies or any other bulb gardening topic? Ask Bridget! Email her at bridget@bulbblog.com! If she features your question in a future post, you’ll receive a Holland Bulb Farms coupon for your next order at Holland Bulb Farms!