Planting a variety of bulbs is a surefire way to add color to gardens all season long. Each bulb contains a young shoot and the food it needs to get growing, forming a perfect little package just waiting to burst forth into bloom. Mention bulbs and most people think of spring-flowering types, such as tulips and daffodils, that are planted in fall. However, there are also spring-planted bulbs that will provide exuberant blooms in summer.

Bulbs can be classified by their hardiness. Hardy bulbs are perennials and can remain in the ground to resprout year after year. Tender bulbs are tropical and in all but the warmest regions they should be dug in the fall, stored, and replanted the following spring. (Note that some of the "bulbs" are, botanically speaking, corms or tubers.)

White Asiatic lilies add an elegant note to gardens.

Hardy Bulbs for Perennial Color
Perhaps the most popular of the hardy bulbs are lilies, and for good reason. Few plants provide such dramatic color, fragrance, and reliability. Within the lily family there are numerous types, including Asiatic, Oriental, tiger, Easter, and trumpet. Plant some from each group and you can have blooms over most of the growing season, both in gardens and in long-lasting bouquets. Asiatic lilies are among the most popular, boasting tall stalks with numerous large, jewel-toned blooms. For fragrance, you'll want to add Oriental lilies. Plant lily bulbs immediately after you receive them. Unlike other bulbs, they don't go dormant, so treat them like the living plant that they are. If you must wait a few days, keep the bulbs moist and store them in your refrigerator.

Another beautiful bulb is crocosmia, which sports gracefully arched stems covered with crimson, orange, or yellow blooms in midsummer. Gardeners in the U.S. are just discovering crocosmias, but the plant has long been popular in England, where it's known as montbretia. The handsome, iris-like foliage is attractive as well — a fortunate trait since you may be tempted to cut the flowers for indoor bouquets.

The Trend Toward Tropical
Bulbs from tropical regions can't withstand cold winters, but don't let that discourage you from planting them. If the word "tropical" conjures up images of bold, bright, dramatic flowers, then you've got the right idea.

Gladiolas are the classic cut flower, with 4-foot spikes of dramatic blooms, but there's no reason to confine them to the cutting garden. Add them to the back of the border, too, for a colorful, living "fence." Stagger planting dates to extend the display.

Compared to stately gladiolas, cannas are bold and brash, with huge leaves and extravagant blooms. They're perfect for the "tropical" garden style that's all the rage — even in decidedly non-tropical regions. Callas and peacock lilies (acidanthera) are more demure. Both make ideal cut flowers and complement most perennials.

Few flowers can boast the range of sizes, colors, and forms of the dahlia. Ranging in height from 1 to 6 feet with blooms in all colors of the rainbow except blue, there's a dahlia for every gardening situation. Plant formal-looking pompon dahlias along a front entryway. Use cactus-flowered types in containers, where you can enjoy the striking flowers up close. Add tall varieties to the cutting garden. There's a reason there are about 50,000 named dahlia varieties — everyone loves them!

From left: gladiolus, acidanthera (peacock lily) and cactus-flowered dahlia

Since tender bulbs can't withstand frost, you'll need to wait until temperatures warm up to plant them outdoors. However, by planting some bulbs indoors, you can get a jump on the flowering season and enjoy tropical blooms into autumn.

Whether you're a novice gardener looking for easy-to-grow, reliable plants or an experienced gardener looking to add dramatic splashes of color, summer-blooming bulbs are the perfect choice.

 

Planting Summer-Flowering Bulbs

 

For a touch of the tropics, try summer-blooming bulbs. They're the ones that provide spectacular colors and fabulous foliage in midsummer through early autumn.

Most are excellent for containers – and easy to grow. As a bonus, if you take the trouble to dig them up in the fall, you can plant them again next spring.

As with spring-blooming bulbs, summer bulbs demand excellent drainage. Ideal places include slopes, berms, raised beds, and any other spot where water can drain freely.

 

STEPS 1-3 of 3
		Plant summer-blooming bulbs in early spring. You can plant most in containers. In fact, some, such as tuberous begonias, do better in the excellent soil and drainage provided by containers. You can plant summer-blooming bulbs just as a bulb, but can also find them as container plants. (See 'More Info' page to view full bulb chart.)
		Prepare soil for summer-blooming bulbs by turning it over to a depth of 18 inches. Work in plenty of compost or sphagnum peat moss to improve soil texture and drainage. If soil is compact or full of clay, work in a spadeful of sand as well.
		Position the bulbs, pointed end up, to the depth specified on the label or in the chart. The depths refer to the bottom of the bulb -- the BASE of the bulb should be planted at that depth. If your bulbs are in a container, knock them gently out of the pot and plant them to the same depth as they were in the container.