Bulbs are among the most popular of all flowering plants for the garden.  Bulbs have long been renowned for their beauty, their hardiness and their variety.  This article provides a small sampling of the many types of bulb plants available to the average gardener.

Muscari Armeniacum
The muscari, or grape hyacinth, is one of the most popular of all bulb varieties, and it has been for many years.  The grape hyacinth features narrow, grassy leaves that appear in the fall and can survive through the cold and snow of winter.  The leaves of the grape hyacinth are small, urn shaped and blue in color, and they grow on attractive eight inch tall spikes.  The flowers on the grape hyacinth bloom in the spring of the year, and these bulbs should be planted in the fall in order to bloom the spring.  The bulbs of the grape hyacinth should be planted two inches deep and three inches apart for best results.  The grape hyacinth prefers full sun or light shade, and it benefits from regular watering during its growth and bloom cycles.

Daffodil
The daffodil may be the most easily recognizable of all bulb plants, and it rewards its gardener with a generous display of beautiful blooms.  Besides the traditional white and yellow varieties, daffodils also come in shades of orange, apricot, pink and cream.  Daffodil bulbs should be planted twice as deep as they are tall, and they should be spaced between six and eight inches apart.  Daffodils benefit from full sun and regular watering during their growth and bloom periods.

Tulip
Tulips may just be the most well known and easily recognized of all bulb plants.  Indeed, in the minds of many tulips are synonymous with bulb plants.  The tulip has long been prized for its beauty, and tulips continue to be one of the most popular types of flowers among casual gardeners and professional growers alike.

In addition, tulips are among the most hybridized of all flowers, with hybrids available in a staggering array of shapes, sizes, colors and textures.  Some of the most popular tulip hybrids include pastels, spotted tulips, bicolor tulips and tricolor tulips.  There are also hybrids in the brightest hues, and even a variety that is almost black in color.  The tulip comes in a variety of shapes as well.  In addition to the classic egg shaped bloom, there are varieties with blossoms resembling the shapes of peonies and lilies.

The blooming season for most varieties of tulips runs from mid to late spring.  Most tulips need a period of extended cold in order to look and bloom their best.  Feeding with a high quality, nitrogen rich fertilizer will encourage multiple blooming.  The fertilizer should be applied before the first bloom for best results.

In mild climates, it is best to refrigerate tulip bulbs for six weeks before they are planted.  While it is possible for tulip bulbs to remain in the ground, most gardeners treat them as annuals and replant them each year.  Doing so is often the best way to get the best blooms year after year.

Tulips like full sun, and they benefit from a regular watering schedule during their growing and blooming periods.  It is best to plant tulip bulbs in the fall, and tulip bulbs should be planted three times as deep as the bulb is wide.  Therefore, a 2” wide bulb would be planted 6” deep.  It is important to leave sufficient space between the planted bulbs as well, from four to eight inches depending on the size of the bulb.

Just about every flower gardener will work with bulb plants at one time or another.  Bulbs are loved by gardeners for the ease with which they grow, their hardiness and the fact that they can bloom again and again for many consecutive seasons without the need to replant.  With all these advantages, it is no wonder that bulb plants are so popular among both new and experienced gardeners.
 
Choosing the right bulbs, however, is one thing that many beginning gardeners have trouble with.  After you develop and eye and feel for finding the best bulbs, however, you will be able to spot them from across the garden center.

When choosing bulbs for your garden, it is important to choose the firmest and largest bulbs.  The size of the bulb is important, since large bulbs are more likely to provide many blooms.  The firmness of the bulb is a good indication of its health, and bulbs that are soft or mushy are unlikely to bloom.  Bulbs are particularly susceptible to water damage.  It is important to choose a bulb that is not to soft, but it is also important to look for cracks or scars.  Bulbs with cracks or scars may have become too dry to bloom.  Likewise, any bulbs that have begun to spout roots should be avoided, as they are unlikely to bloom properly once planted.

How bulbs are planted in the garden is important as well.  Most bulbs are best planted in the fall, most commonly in early to mid October.  The goal is to get the bulbs into the ground six weeks before the ground begins to freeze, so obviously the best time to plant will vary from location to location. 

Bulbs should be planted in a well prepared soil, and the depth they should be planted will be determined by the type of bulb.  For example, crocus bulbs are generally planted four inches deep, daffodil and hyacinth bulbs six inches deep and tulip bulbs at a depth of eight inches.

A simple gardening tool called a bulb planter is great for achieving a more uniform look to the blooming garden.  Bulb planters can be used to easily prepare perfect looking rows of flowers.  Those gardneres who prefer a more wild and freewheeling look, on the other hand, often dig a single hole and plant several bulbs in it.  This approach can lead to spectacular, if somewhat unpredictable, patterns once the bulbs begin to bloom.

It is important to use a small amount of fertilizer at the bottom of each hole you dig when planting bulbs.  The fertilizer should then be topped with a thin layer of soil, and the bulb carefully placed on top of the soil.  It is important not to place the bulb directly on top of the fertilizer, as doing so could damage the bulb.  Bulbs are always planted with the pointed end stick up and the flat, rooted side lying on top of the layer of soil.  After the bulbs are in place, the rest of the hole should be filled with soil and the garden should be given a thorough watering.

Even though bulbs are among the hardiest of garden plants, there are a few important things to remember.  One important technique to become familiar with is deadheading.  The term deadheading should already be familiar to those gardeners who work with perennials.  Deadheading is simply removing spent blooms in order to encourage more blossoms to develop.  This process is important with bulb plants as well.  When working with bulbs, however, it is important not to remove the leaves from the plants until the leaves have begun turning brown.

Taking care of the bulbs over the winter is important as well.  In warmer climates, many bulbs can remain in the ground over winter.  It is important, however, to remove tender bulbs such as dahlias, even in warmer climates.  These bulbs should be stored over the winter in a cool, dry location.

Bulbs are wonderful plants for any gardener, from the newest to the most experienced.  Their combination of hardiness, color and beauty make them hard to beat for any flower enthusiast.