To get those beautiful, spring flowers, you have to put in a little bit of work now. Plan ahead and plant these hardy fall bulbs before the ground freezes. They’ll cozy up for the winter and emerge at the first sign of spring!
I often find myself wandering around my garden in spring, immensely enjoying the brightly coloured blooms popping up everywhere, even through snow-covered, frosty ground. It’s during those times that I reap the benefit of taking the time the previous year to plant hardy fall bulbs that chill out for the winter and delight in the spring.
Bulbs are identified by the season they are planted, not that in which they grow, so with hardy fall bulbs, it is important to think ahead to what the garden will look like in future seasons and find the right space, colour, height and number to create the design you desire.
These are some true hardy bulbs, meant to be planted in the fall to bloom in the spring. They don’t mind the cold and will brighten things up after a long winter.
Tulips
USDA zones: 3-8
The butterfly of flowers, the tulip is decorative and delicate, with as much variety in appearance as the gardeners who plant them. Small or tall, early or late blooming, ruffled or smooth, multicoloured or striped, the tulip is the perfect showpiece for almost any garden.
The hardest thing about growing tulips is how to choose which ones. Check out these other posts on how to plant perennial tulips or growing tulips for a cutting garden.
Crocuses
USDA zones: 3-9
One of the first fall bulbs braving the frozen soil, the crocus offers a taste of what’s to come while still covered in winter’s frost. Generally, crocuses range from purple and yellow, but blues, whites, and oranges can also be found.
The shorties are best in the front of flower beds, but I absolutely love crocuses livening up the ground under a deciduous (as they bloom before the leaves grow), or wildly dotted through a green lawn.
Narcissus
USDA zones: 3-8
Bearing the same name as the Greek God who fell in love with his own reflection, the Narcissus is a true symbol of beauty. Many may be familiar with the standard yellow Daffodil (a common English name), but the genus also includes a variety of 50 to 100 frilly gems in yellow, white, orange, and everything in between.
Alliums
USDA zones: 3-9
Alliums are in the same family as the onion, yet the decorative varieties don’t have edible bulbs. What they do have is fascinating blooms with structures that decorate the garden long after the flower has faded. While there are over 750 species, some are wild, some are edible, and a few are absolute showstoppers in a garden. Read more All About Alliums.
Anemones
USDA zones: 7-10
If you fondly remember picking buttercups as a child, you’ll adore the grown-up version, Anemones, meaning “daughter of the wind” in Greek. These delicate, low-growing blooms will surely perk up the front border with rich colour and what seems to be an all-knowing eye dramatically darkening the center.
More Bulbs to Love
- Naturalizing Bulbs in Lawn: My Bulb Lawn 1 Year Later
- Plant and Overwinter Spring Flowering Bulbs in Pots
- How to Store Bulbs Over Winter: Save Your Summer-Flowering Bulbs!
- Beyond Tulips: 12 Extraordinary Spring Flowering Bulbs to Plant in Fall
- Bring on Spring! How to Force Spring Bulbs Indoors
- Plant Summer-Blooming Bulbs in the Spring for an Outstanding Display This Year
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
I love tulips, and am always so happy when they’re out. I forgot all about my fall bulbs – thank you for the reminder! I know… How do you forget your fall bulbs, right? =-O
How beautiful these all are! I’m pretty new to the gardening world, and also have a new house to start fresh with! Where do I buy bulbs (I live in Augusta, Ga)? And will bulbs be able to make it in Georgia red clay? Thank you!
DANIELLE: I live in WV, also a land of clay, but mine is yellow. I started from scratch with flower gardens as well, and I find with all plants/bulbs that adding amendment to the clay gives you a much better plant and they multiply better. Depending on your growing zone, you may be able to plant any variety of tulip. Here in Zone 6, I look for perennial tulips. After your bulb flowers are spent, be sure to leave all the green intact until it dries and turns yellow. Bulbs take in energy through the stems and leaves and will multiply and stay healthier if you leave them until dry.