TheMondayGarden.com

getting ready for spring. No, this is not the FBI’s kind of underground activity. Think of it as condo time-sharing for your outdoor pots.

Container plants left outside over the winter, in a cold frame or an unheated garage can do double duty. When repotting in the fall, sneak a few early spring bulbs under the roots. Next spring, the bulbs will be done blooming before the pot’s “real plant” wakes up. If you’re tossing container annuals, consider filling the pot with cheap grocery store bulbs rather than leaving it empty over the winter. Late next February, little bulb “noses” poking up through the soil will be reassurance, direct from Mother Nature herself, that, yes, winter will end and spring will definitely come again. Once you see the new growth, get the pot in the sun and water freely, but don’t let the pots stand in water.

picture: scilla.

It’s best to get the bulbs planted soon so the roots have plenty of time to develop before the ground freezes. Bulbs rot if they get too wet, so water moderately until hard frost. Then water just enough to keep the pot from drying out. I have best luck with the miniature bulbs like snowdrops, grape hyacinths, early Dutch iris, and scillia. Scillia are particularly good if you’ve got a heavy hand with the watering can or lack full sun. One bulb for every inch of pot diameter is a good rule of thumb for a naturalistic planting. Double the number if you want a mass of flowers.