What I would like to talk about now is the number of bulbs that are planted now with emphasis on bulbs that naturalize or keep coming back year after year.

We all know about the large daffodils, tulips and hyacinths that we see in all the gardening magazines. They are spectacular are do a great job welcoming spring.

Bearded iris, although not truly a bulb is very dependable here and we have a number of varieties that repeat bloom. Look on the boxes for information on which varieties rebloom.

Other bulbs to look for include the small flowered narcissus. That would include the Paper White types, Tazetta, Cyclamanius and the species types of Narcissus. Depending on the variety they bloom at 12-24" tall and make a great show.

Freesias, Sparaxis, Grape Hyacinth, Belladonna, Lily and Brodiaea, are some other types that you should consider.

If you want the large flowered types of daffodils, tulips or hyacinths, there are a few tricks that can help them come back for a few years. One is to plant them at the deeper end of the planting range. Most bulbs tend to divide faster if planted shallow. This often means that the bulbs get too small to bloom.

Second would be to place them where they get little or no summer water. Most bulbs come from a Mediterranean type climate, which usually means little or no summer rain. If they stay moist during the summer most tend to rot.

Third is to fertilize them. Most people forget to fertilize bulbs. Even if you fertilize the lawn and the flowers regularly we forget that bulbs respond to some extra fertilizer. I use Master Nursery Bulb Food at planting and Rose & Flower Food during the growing season

Spring flowering bulbs are something to look forward to during the cold foggy days of December and January. We carry the best selection around. So come in and check out what you can do for spring color.

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