Flower bulbs provide one of the easiest ways to bring spectacular color and beauty to your garden. Spring bulbs like daffodil bulbs and tulip bulbs are the best known and most popular, coming as they do after the dreary days of winter. But there are bulbs that bloom in summer and fall which are equally valuable. Here are a few examples of the best bulbs for each season. Spring-flowering bulbs begin with crocus and snowdrops poking through the gray remnants of winter. Daffodils and tulips come in an astounding range of varieties. They are classified as early, mid-season or late bloomers, so you can plan which varieties will bloom together. Since trees are bare, they can be planted in spots which will be too shady later in the summer. Try putting bright purple Muscari (grape hyacinths) and the low-growing red tulip Little Red Riding Hood under a hedge of yellow forsythia. The most popular summer-flowering bulbs include iris in early summer, dahlias and gladioli in midsummer. Allium is less well known, and bears round flower clusters (usually purple, pink or white) about the size of a softball. Canna lilies lend a blaze of tropical color to your garden in scarlet and orange. Autumn is usually given over to chrysanthemums and asters, but consider planting some Colchinum, or autumn crocus. The lavender cup-shaped blossoms bloom on bare stems, so plant them with another low-growing flower or naturalize them in a wooded area. Bulbs can be grown in any climate, but check your zone on the package when you buy them to determine whether they need to be dug up and stored over the winter (in cold climates) or refrigerated before planting (in warm climates).
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