Now's the Time To Choose Spring-Flowering Bulbs To Plant This Fall

It may seem counterintuitive, but now is the time to look around your landscape to see what you may want to plant in the fall.

It’s late October and into early November that we plant many of our spring-flowering bulbs, trees and shrubs, and now is when to note where they are blooming, if you need to do fill-ins or where you may want to do some random plantings, drifts or more formal plantings.

It’s also the time to see what failed that you may have planted last summer or last fall in terms of trees, shrubs and perennials. The drought can play havoc on these new plantings, but there is one thing to keep in mind: A newly planted tree or shrub will not leaf out at the same time as its mature relatives. For example, my larger maples have already flowered — yes, they do flower — but my two newer maples, one 18 feet tall and the other 12 feet tall, are only showing slight signs of life. Be patient before you write off these plants.

And of course, there are those plants that naturally break dormancy late into the spring. Some perennials like Amsonia (eastern bluestar) are among the last to show signs of new growth as are the perennial types of hibiscus.

Among my early bloomers, and in some cases I mean really early, are the snowdrops (Galanthus). I have a small planting of these along a south wall at my office, and they began to bloom in late January. The blooms never really fully opened until March but all winter long the white blooms would swell, consider opening then close up again until they fully opened in March.

Even earlier is the hardy Cyclamen coum. I grow the species as well as a hybrid C. coum, “Something Magic,” and these plants are pretty amazing. Once only harvested from the wild in Turkey, they are now cultivated and less expensive. Mine grow right at the base of a large old maple tree where the soil gets dry and hot. That’s when these plants go dormant so they are unfazed. But in February they begin their dazzling though small show of color that continues into May. They require no care at all and if ignored will slowly spread.

My original planting of about a dozen corms in an area of about 2 square feet now covers at least 25 square feet and they even have stretched into the lawn. Since the flowers are rarely higher than a few inches they seem to be immune to mowing and are not in any way invasive. For the curious gardener, read up on how these plants reproduce. It’s pretty amazing.

A few side notes on the hardy cyclamens, though. The species, C. coum, will spread, but the hybrids are much more shy. So if you want an expansive drift of one like “Something Magic” you’ll need to invest in lots of corms for the initial planting. There are also hardy cyclamens in other colors and varieties that are fall bloomers as well. I’ve had a small drift of C. hederifolim under a group of white pines that has tiny foliage. I’m always worried someone will weed them out but the plants put on a nice show of color under the pines in the fall and have been persistent for nearly 20 years.

My next spring favorite is the Grecian windflower, or Anemone blanda. This is another fall-planted corm that you plant and forget about. But each spring as the ground thaws this plant, native to southeastern Europe and the Middle East, puts on a wonderful show. Best of all, once planted they need no care at all and will spread slowly throughout the garden. You might think this is an issue and that they can be weedy or invasive. Not at all. The corms look like large raisins or small prunes, but don’t let their wrinkled appearance fool you.

The flowers appear from late March through early May, and you can buy the corms in straight colors or in mixtures. The flowers are only a couple of inches tall but when mass planted (six to eight corms per square foot) they put on a spectacular show and still allow other plants to thrive among and between them. They look great along a border edge or when planted in drifts. The flowers are daisy-like on short 2-inch stems with the flowers closing at dusk and not reopening until about an hour after sunrise.

My favorite spring tree is the magnolia. Flowering in April and into May, the flowers are enticingly delicious and border on sensuous. As I’m writing I’m looking to my right where a pink variety is now in full bloom. Grown from a small potted specimen, it’s now about 20 feet tall, which is fairly average for magnolias. Some get much larger and can be quite dramatic as they mature, and for the small landscape there are smaller varieties.

As for colors there are the traditional pinks but there are also pinks that have vibrant hits of deeper pink with hints of white and rose. There are also yellow types and a few whites. Many are also quite fragrant and as the petals fall they can cover the ground in a blanket of color and a wafting scent that has often sparked a fantasy of rolling in them on a warm spring day.

In a flash though, it’s over, but only the flowering part is over. The foliage then emerges and reveals glossy green leaves often with the feel and texture of a tanned leather. There are also varieties that set seed in large hanging fruiting bodies. If allowed to remain on the trees these often turn a bright red in the fall and early winter and can be a source of food for birds and animals. I was totally unaware of this fruiting habit until a few years ago when the conditions were perfect and one of my trees fruited and put on a show that nearly rivaled the flowers.

When shopping for a magnolia at a nursery, make certain that you are buying one that has the flower color and shape you want. For larger specimens ask the nursery for pictures of the tree in flower and if buying online make sure there is a full description of the flower and the tree’s habit.

There is a downside to magnolias, though. They are soft wooded and somewhat prone to damage from ice and wet snow. There was a magnificent specimen near work that I loved, but one winter one of the two main leaders split and became horizontal. In spite of this, the horizontal leader continued to thrive at a 90-degree angle to the main leader. To this day it continues to flower and thrive, albeit at a right angle. Early spring freezes and late frosts can also do in the flowers, but on the East End this only occurs about once a decade at most.

More early-to-mid-spring favorites of mine are the Fritillarias. These are bulbs of several species from the diminutive F. michailovski that I have scattered in a dappled shade area to the giant F. imperialis that can get several feet tall with magnificent flowers at a time when little else is in bloom. All of the frits have a great attribute that you may find especially appealing: They are deer proof and rodent proof with F. imperialis being particularly effective, though you won’t be getting up close and intimate since its scent is a bit unpleasant.

The taller frits have hollow stems like tulips so they will do best in areas protected from strong winds or as they gain height a single green bamboo stake can be added to each for added support. Expect the taller types to flower out here in early to mid April with others from mid April into early May and a few into early summer.

The downside of the frits are that the taller types, especially F. lutea and F. imperialis, should be avoided if you have a collection of Asiatic or Oriental lilies. The frits are the alternate host of the dreaded scarlet lily beetle, which, once found on the frits, quickly move to these lily varieties.

Lots to love here, but again, these are all plants you need to plan for and order them now through early summer. Make your observations now to figure out where they’ll fit in your garden and landscape, then you can plant them in the fall. Look online and in catalogs to see what they look like and don’t forget the magnolias as well. Keep growing.