I was pleased to see all the cool season annuals and spring bulbs that are now available. I enjoy gardening with annuals in my free time. Consequently, none are present in my garden. However, indulgence with bulbs is a horticultural experience that I do not want to miss, second only to winter pruning. Tulips and crocus are two of my favorites and are among the first bulbs to become available. (White is normally my favorite color, but white tulips look like eggs on stems.)

Because flower bulbs only bloom once annually, they may be planted in phases to extend the bloom cycle. Bulbs that are planted when they first become available will be the first to bloom in spring. Groups of the same bulbs planted later in will bloom later in spring. Not all types of bulbs are currently available. Those that should  be planted later, particularly ‘summer’ bulbs, will become available at the time they should be planted.

Bulbs should actually be perennial, blooming each spring if properly dug and stored after bloom and abscission of foliage, then planted again in autumn. Unfortunately, endemic soil is too dense for many bulbs to survive in it through late summer without rotting. (Survival through winter is not as difficult because fungal rot organisms are not as active when cool.) Consequently, most garden enthusiasts use many types of bulbs as annuals, replacing them each year with new bulbs. Few can actually naturalize and bloom reliably without being dug and stored. Daffodils may naturalize, but do not bloom reliably without cold winter weather or if sheltered from