Fall-planted bulbs that flower in spring are surely the easiest, cheapest way to add color to your garden. Pop the bulbs into the ground in fall, then do absolutely nothing at all until green stems pierce the cold spring soil to light up your yard with fabulous flowers. From tulips to crocus, hyacinths to Dutch iris, there are plenty of showstopper bulbs you can still plant in November. As long as your ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, all these beauties can be planted now, at a depth that's three times the bulb's height. If you live in a colder USDA zone and already past your first frost date, simply plant bulbs in a container in a sheltered spot instead.
When you’re planting bulbs in late fall, the secret to success is great drainage so they root rather than rot. That’s easily done by giving bulbs an inch-deep layer of grit to sit on at the base of the planting hole. You could fork out on horticultural grit, or you could simply use good ol’ poultry grit made of crushed granite like CZ Grain Chicken Grit, available from Walmart. You may need to protect tasty tulip bulbs from hungry squirrels, but then you can leave the rest to Mother Nature.
If it’s a while since you went bulb shopping, you’re in for a lovely surprise because plant breeders have been busy creating all sorts of wonderful new flower shapes and color combinations. From double-petalled tulips that look just like peonies to fragrant hyacinths in dramatic hues, these backyard blooms are a real springtime treat and planting them should be on everyone's list of gardening jobs in November. So let's skip straight to the good bit, shall we? Here’s my pick of dazzling spring-flowering bulbs to plant in late fall. Get the drainage right and all these will return year in, year out and with prices from 35 cents a bulb, there’s an option to suit every budget.
