If you don’t already have a cold weather garden in place, chances are your thoughts about gardening have gone dormant for the winter. But now's the time to pay attention. Upon this writing, just about mid November, very soon the big box stores and garden centers will be placing all of their spring bulbs on clearance. So now is your chance to grab them up at a discounted rate for your spring container gardens. If you get your hands a few of these gems, there are some steps you will need to take in order to ensure they will bloom next spring when you plant them in February.
- You will need to ensure your bulbs go through vernalization, which is, they will need to experience 8 - 10 weeks of freezing temperatures.
- Keep them dark and dry. Place the bulbs in a brown paper bag inside a Ziploc container and either store them outside during the winter months or place them in your freezer.
- Around February you’ll need to plant them with fresh potting soil - being careful to keep them out of reach of any squirrels or rodents that appreciate their yummy flavor (hint: they don't like daffodils).
- Choose a well drained basket with at least 8 inches of growing room for larger bulbs - and think about how you will layer smaller bulbs on top like grape hyacinths and crocus.
- Water but don’t soak every two weeks.
