10 Bulbs You Can Plant in March to Color-Drench Your Summer Garden – You're Missing an Easy Trick if You Don't Try These Striking Blooms
These summer-flowering bulbs have the most fabulous blooms and they're simple to grow, even if you're a beginner gardener
Loving your spring bulbs right now? There are so many summer-flowering bulbs that bring the same joyous color, yet are far less widely planted. Whether you're a beginner or expert gardener, they’re all really straightforward to grow, bring months of summer color, and their blooms will bowl you over with their beauty. So, if you're wondering what to plant in March for summer garden color, here's the solution.
All these fabulous flowers store energy in underground storage stems. Some are bulbs, just like snowdrops and daffodils. There are rhizomes, tubers and corms, too – and they all work in a very similar way to bulbs, storing the energy they need for next year’s blooms, and often multiplying to create more plants.
A few of these bulb-like forms are tough enough to be left in the ground, even in colder zones. Others are more tender, and need protecting from the cold over winter depending on your USDA zone – but that's a straightforward process, so don't be put off. Some can be dug up in fall when they've finished flowering, then dried and stored in a dry, frost-free space such as a garage, and replanted in spring.
Article continues belowIt’s not at all difficult to do: I use a small fork like this one from Amazonto dig them up (its narrower shape means I don’t disturb the neighboring roots of other plants) then leave them in the sun for a day or two to dry. They're typically stored in sawdust, sand or vermiculite but I find storing them in cat litter, unscented and made from a natural material like this one from Amazon, is the ultimate hassle-free solution.
If that still sounds like too much effort, then simply grow these beauties in pots. That makes lifting the bulb-like forms so easy, or some, like oriental lilies, can simply be left in the pot. Let the compost dry out then store the container over winter in a frost-free space. Even better, there are lots of summer bulbs such as calla lilies, begonias and Colocasia that make handsome houseplants through the winter: enjoy their summer color in the garden and their foliage indoors in winter. A plant caddy, whether that’s a plant stand on wheels like this one from Amazon or a dolly cart like this one, also from Amazon, makes moving the pot a cinch.
Here are 10 summer bloomers whose beauty more than makes up for the bother of keeping their bulbs cozy in winter, along with my favorite varieties, and all can be planted now.
1. Begonias
With thousands of cultivars to choose from, there’s a tuberous begonia that’s just right for your backyard. Unlike most summer-flowering plants that grow from a bulb-like tuber, begonias prefer shady conditions. They also love life in a pot, and honestly, there’s no better plant for a hanging basket, as long as you’re prepared to water it regularly.
They’re only reliably hardy in zones 9–11 and although you can dig the tubers up and store them in a frost-free place over winter, many gardeners simply choose to buy new each spring. As many cultivars have pretty foliage, you can also keep your potted begonia as a houseplant through the colder months. Start your bulbs in pots indoors now, and move outside after the last frost, or plant outside once all danger of frost has passed.
With five bulbs of rose-like picotee begonias in shades of red, yellow and white, this mix will make a fabulous patio pot, flowering from July till the first frost.
Begonias aren't always scented but the double flowers of this cultivar have a beautiful fragrance, and are an elegant white with just a brush of blush pink.
Put this standout cultivar in a pot or hanging basket and wait for the compliments to arrive! The large blooms keep on coming for months.
2. Pineapple Lily
It’s not a pineapple nor a lily, but a Eucomis that’s far easier to grow than its exotic appearance suggests. Pineapple lilies are hardy in zones 7–10 but, if you’ve got a sheltered garden, you may be able to get away with leaving them in the ground over winter in zones 5–6 as long as you protect them with a generous 4-inch layer of mulch. Otherwise dig up the bulbs and store them indoors in a cool but frost-free, dry place.
Your efforts will be well rewarded with these unusual flower spikes topped by a crown of leaf-like bracts. Start pineapple lily bulbs off in pots now, or plant outside after your last frost date in a sunny border, and look forward to showstopper blooms.
Each 2-foot stem grows a dense cluster of pale green flowers tipped in purple, topped with a burst of sprightly bracts. Everyone will be asking what this is!
With elegant white flower spikes growing 15–20 inches high, the classic palette of this cultivar shows off the strappy foliage and green top-knots a treat.
Each tiny star-shaped bloom opens in an ivory hue and transitions through rose to a violet-purple, so the flower spikes continually change color.
3. Dahlias
Give these divas sun and warm, well-drained soil and they’ll flower all summer till the first frosts. You can leave dahlia tubers in the ground through winter in zones 8 and above as long as you insulate them with a thick layer of mulch. Everywhere else, it’s best to dig up the tubers and store them indoors in a frost-free spot.
It’s well worth the trouble, though, as there are so many showstopper cultivars to choose from. Dahlias make great cut flowers, too, lasting up to a week in a vase. Start tubers indoors 4–6 weeks before your last frost date. You can plant straight into the ground once all danger of frost has passed but slugs love fresh new dahlia shoots so much, it’s a good idea to start your tubers off in pots then anyway.
Not all Dahlia are brash attention-seekers! Dreamy Dahlia 'Eveline' has oh-so-elegant ivory blooms with touches of lilac at their centre and petal edges.
There are many dahlia forms and growing two types together highlights their incredible symmetry. These are 'Moorplace' and 'Linda's Baby'.
With 3–4 foot stems and flowers 6–8 inches across, this striking variety blooms from midsummer to the first frost. I love its fringed, shaped petals!
4. Calla Lily
Fancy growing something a little different this year? Calla lilies (Zantedeschia) have exotic summer spathes in all sorts of colors and the leaves are handsome, too, often speckled in white. The rhizomes are tender, so calla lilies are only hardy in zones 8–10 and you’ll have to dig up and store the fleshy roots in colder climates, and plant them again in spring. Another option is to keep this beauty indoors as a houseplant over winter.
Start the rhizomes indoors in a pot now and harden off and move outside into a sunny spot once all danger of frost has passed.
No two blooms are the same, varying from the softest white to a deep pink and every shade in between. The flowers are fragrant and grow to two feet high.
Exclusively available in the US from Dutch Grown, this cheery new cultivar grows to 20 inches high and will brighten up a sunny bed.
'Akela' only grows to 25 inches so its a great choice for a pot or small space. The incredible color of the funnel-shaped flowers will still attract plenty of attention.
5. Canna Lily
You’re either going to love or hate canna lilies but either way, they sure know how to attract attention! They’re such an easy way to add a tropical vibe to your backyard and flower from June to October. These sun-loving stunners are perennial in zones 8–10, where they can be left in the ground over winter under a cozy duvet of mulch. Any colder, and you’ll need to dig up the rhizomes and store indoors.
Start canna lily rhizomes off in pots indoors now – they need to be kept warm (above 50°F) so if your greenhouse isn’t heated, a sunny conservatory is a good option – then harden off and plant outside after your last frost date.
Grow this variegated variety for its glossy green leaves striped in white and yellow. Plants grow up to 4 feet with orange flowers adding to the color.
'Cleopatra' has fabulous yellow and red blooms decorated with streaks and speckles. Its foliage is purple and green, adding to this spectacular show of color.
Dramatic 'Black Knight' has velvety red blooms atop dark burgundy-bronze leaves, and flowers for months in a sunny spot. Hummingbirds love it, too.
6. Oriental Lily
Oh my! That such fabulous flowers can grow from bulbs is just mind-blowing. They’re delightfully fragrant, can grow to an eye catching 5 feet tall, and make excellent cut flowers, too. Oriental lilies are also super-easy to grow. Hardy in zones 5–9, though they can usually survive a zone 4 winter under a thick layer of mulch, Lilium Oriental hybrids can be grown in the ground or in containers, and love to bask in the sun. They do like acidic conditions so growing them in pots is often easier, with an ericaceous compost such as this from Amazon.
Plant bulbs as soon as your soil is workable, adding a layer of mulch if frosts are still expected in your zone. You can start them in pots now too. In colder climates, you will need to dig and store bulbs over winter, or move the container to a frost-free, dark spot.
These beauties are toxic to pets if eaten, and you should wear gloves when handling the bulbs.
Those clever plant breeders have turned stamens into extra petals with this 3-foot-high variety, which means its flowers are pollenless so great for vases indoors.
No-one will miss these extravagant flowers on 3-foot-high stems, and their scent is as sweet as the shapely petals. Get ready to swoom!
This reliable variety is well-known for its unforgettable fragrance, which attracts butterflies. The flamboyant fuchsia-pink flowers sit atop 3-feet high stems.
7. Colocasia
No flowers here, but Colocasia esculenta, also known as Elephants Ear, has equally fabulous foliage, so it's got to go our top 10 list! The leaves are enormous, boast a tactile touch-me texture, and colors range from lime green to almost black, with many cultivars having contrasting tones.
These tubers are slow to start so it’s best to get them into pots now, hardening them off and moving them outside to a sheltered, partially shaded spot after your last frost. You can start these leafy lovelies in the ground once the weather has warmed up but, because they’re only hardy in zones 9 and up, and the shoots make such a tasty snack for slugs, it’s best to grow Colocasia in pots. That way, you can enjoy it as a houseplant through winter, as it will thrive indoors in bright but indirect light.
Raised dark purple veins adorn this hybrid's glossy olive-green leaves. Although it grows to 4 feet high, this moisture-lover has an upright habit.
The upright bright pink stems are as fabulous as its green heart-shaped leaves. You'll need to have plenty of room as it can grown to 4–6 feet tall.
These glossy heart-shaped leaves grow on 3-foot-high stems with outrageous flamingo-pink veining – it likes moisture so you'll have to remember to water it.
8. Gladiolus
Another sun lover, start gladioli bulbs in pots indoors now, or plant them straight into the ground after your last frost date. For a long show, many gardeners put a Gladiolus bulb or two into the ground every week to get a summer-long display. They’re quick to grow from bulb to bloom, so you can do this up until July.
Hardy from zone 7, gladioli bulbs will need to be dug up and stored through winter in colder zones. Do this, too, if your soil stays wet, and they hate soggy conditions. It’s well worth the effort, though, with flamboyant flower spikes and sword-like leaves that are equally gorgeous in the garden or a vase. And if you think gladiolus are all about gaudy, over-dramatic blooms, think again…
Rising up to 50 inches high, these spires of white petals with burgundy hearts are so elegant, and look equally stylish in a vase as your backyard. Just divine!
The coffee-and-cream colors of this cultivar are so sophisticated, and perfect for this year's earthy-toned trends. The flower spires grow up to 40 inches high.
This dwarf mix only grows to 18 inches, so perfect in a patio pot. Hardier than their full-height cousins, they survive winter in the ground down to zone 5.
9. Crocosmia
With arching stems of flowers in fiery colours, crocosmia is a border favorite as it blooms from mid-summer into fall, providing a welcome burst of bright color when many other plants are fading. It's popular with pollinators, too. Hardy in zones 6 and upwards, it often thrives in zone 5 gardens as well, as long as it gets a sheltered spot and well-drained soil. Super-easy to grow, plant corms outside after your last frost date, mixing plenty of horticultural grit into the soil for good drainage, in a sunny or partially shaded site.
Crocosmia corms don’t like to be disturbed so, in colder climates, grow in a pot so you can move it to a sheltered spot or a greenhouse in fall. Some varieties can be a little too vigorous, so it’s a good idea to grow those in a pot too.
Dazzling from mid to late summer, this spicy-scented variety has a compact habit and thrives in a pot. Hummingbirds love its sunset-shades blooms.
Growing up to 30 inches, this pretty variety brings a splash of color mid-late summer with yellow flowers, their petals stained red and orange on the reverse.
Buying a mixed bundle is typically far cheaper than buying named varieties, and this mixed pack of Crocosmia works out at less than $1.50 a corm – bargain!
10. Daylilies
No list of summer-flowering bulbs is complete without our forever favorite, daylilies! Hardy in zones 3–9, with some varieties able to withstand temperatures down to -25°F. They’ll thrive in most soils, just as long as their rhizomes aren’t sitting in waterlogged soil all through winter, and come back year after year with very little care needed. Just leave the bulbs where they are in fall and look forward to seeing the cheery faces of their flowers again the following year!
Hemerocallis are so easy to hybridise, there are so many varieties to choose from – at the last count, they numbered around 100,000! – so it’s always worth searching for new cultivars. All daylilies prefer a sunny spot, though they will tolerate a little shade.
This bundle gives you one each of five sumptuously-scented varieties. They're all rebloomers, too, so as long as you deadhead, you'll get lots of flowers.
The creamy peach hue of these large, ruffled double blooms is divine, and it's a rebloomer so you'll enjoy plenty of it. The flowers will be a hit with butterflies, too.
If you want stress-free color in your front yard, these stunners will tolerate cold, drought, heat and even salty roadside conditions. A knock-out golden tone, too.
