Everyone loves to see spring flowers peeking out of the ground as soon as the weather turns, but in order to make that happen, it takes a bit of planning! 

To ensure that your yard is filled with blooms all spring and summer long, follow these tips for planting. 

Beautiful bulbs make beautiful flowers, so when picking out your bulbs make sure they have no mushy spots or mold. Avoid bulbs that are soft, feel hollow, or have dark spots on them. Choose the largest bulbs in the variety you’re after, as those will be the healthiest and the most reliable bloomers. 

Spring flowering bulbs need to be planted the fall before you want them to bloom. These hardy bulbs do not need to be brought inside to overwinter. This includes tulips, hyacinth, crocus, snowdrops, etc. They need a chill in order to prepare them to bloom, however, you can plant them as late as January if the soil is still workable and they will still have time to settle in before blooming. Make them a part of your fall planting for a spectacular display come springtime.

For plants with summer bloom times,  early spring is the perfect time to plant bulbs. When planting bulbs it’s very important to dig a hole that is at least 3 times deeper than the size of the bulb. For large bulbs, you’ll want to dig a hole about 6 inches deep, while smaller bulbs may only need a 3-inch hole. 

Many bulb flowers are sun-loving, particularly summer bulbs, so try to put the bulbs in a place where they will receive full sun. You also want to ensure good drainage so that the bulbs don’t end up rotting. 

To create a spectacular spring and summer-long show, plant spring bulbs on top of mid-to-late season bloomers, and mix different types of bulbs to create displays of color that will pop up all season long.