Plant bulbs with DutchGrown & extraordinary 3 winner bulb giveaway!

Just when you can’t take those frigid temperatures one more day you’ll spot it. A diminutive purple crocus in full bloom. How your heart soars with joy!

Winter will end after all. Spring hasn’t been forgotten.

That’s the power of planting bulbs in fall. A small investment now in time and money equates to a big payoff come spring. And nothing could be easier than planting flower bulbs.

That’s why I’m so happy for the 3 winners who will get an assortment of bulbs from DutchGrown~ a renowned retailer of big, beautiful bulbs. DutchGrown has been in the bulb trade for four generations (since 1882) so they know bulbs inside and out.

During this long time span, DutchGrown has gleaned a wealth of knowledge in breeding and growing the best bulbs. Now they are passing on both their bulbs and know-how to you!

DutchGrown bulbs are coming straight from Holland (the bulb capital of the world) to their USA warehouse and then straight to your residence.

1st place – 100 bulbs, 2nd Place – 50 bulbs, 3rd Place – 25 bulbs (priceless value!)

How to enter to WIN!

Just fill out the easy SweepWidget form at the end of this post.

When is the correct time to plant bulbs?

That was a trick question! Because you already know the correct time to plant flower bulbs is when you find a moment to spare. After dinner is cooked, laundry done and homework completed. That’s when.

But if you desire a colorful array of blooms in spring, you must plant bulbs now in fall. Personally, I have no issue with those who plant from October – December. Right up till the ground is frozen if need be. Go for it!

In fact, I’ve planted bulbs as late as February (gasp!) with success. And despite living in the Northeast region of the USA, I still had big blooms in April! No doubt DutchGrown’s high quality bulbs helped!

My climate is cooler in zone 6a, so spring bulbs can be planted as soon as the ground is cool. I keep checking evening temps and when I see the range is between 40 degrees – 50 degrees Fahrenheit for a week straight I plant.

Give yourself a few days to plant in case other projects take you off the task. (Eeeek. Dinner!)

It’s also best to plant 6 to 8 weeks before the ground freezes. This gives the bulbs a chance to establish strong roots before the deep freeze.

If you live in an area without deep freezes, chill those bulbs in the fridge 6-10 weeks prior to planting because most bulbs need a chill period to bloom.

And bulbs don’t want to sit around either. They want in the ground within a few days of arriving on your doorstep. So be ready to start planting when they come because they won’t last until next season.

Speaking of how-to plant bulbs…

Prior to planting, it’s smart to evaluate what bulbs like and don’t like. Bulbs like sun. So aim for a spot with at least 6 hours of sun daily. Bulbs don’t like “wet feet.” Who does? So avoid areas where water collects.

Planting at the bottom of a hill? I don’t think so. Loose, workable and weedless soil is what you want. Well-drained soil with the addition or organic matter such as compost or peat moss. I am planning on fertilizing mine, too.

As a general rule of green thumb, plant bigger bulbs at least 8″ deep and smaller bulbs 5″ deep. Typically this translates to planting bulbs 2-3 times their size in depth. So if your bulb is 3″, dig a hole 6″-9″ deep for best results. Second grade math….here I come!

Keep in mind that bulbs planted too deep may bloom later or not at all. But if planted to shallow, new growth may become exposed too soon and risk damage by cold temps. You can’t win!

When in doubt, I tend to error on the side of planting a tad bit deeper than too shallow. Shallow planted bulbs are also likely to get spotted by those stinking squirrels who dig them up and devour them.

Hyacinths should be planted a little deeper as well because those heavy stalks in bloom tend to plop over if not planted deep enough.

Point side up and root end down please!

What bulbs to plant with DutchGrown?

DutchGrown provides a gigantic selection of bulbs all of the highest caliber. Bulbs that will make your heat beat a little faster in spring when they produce flowers. Humongous bulbs. And it’s perfectly normal to play favorites when bulb planting.

I love hyacinths. The look. The smell. The colors. So I go crazy planting them.

But let’s us tread off the beaten garden path for a minute. Planting tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, alliums and crocus is a no-brainer. But I highly recommend DutchGrown’s anemone, fritillaria and eremurus (foxtail lily) because they will make your head spin.

Pete from DutchGrown sent me a foxtail lily that is still the talk of the town in my neighborhood three years later! A real show-stopper. It takes my breath away each year I see it in bloom.

Here’s my last secret. But you might want to keep this to yourself because they sell out fast. DutchGrown’s tulip ice cream, tulip ice cream banana or tulip blue wow will stun and amaze come spring.

And it’s never a bad idea to buy of of DutchGrown’s supersized bulb collections in sums of 100/500/1000 bulbs. Mass planting at its finest, folks!

It’s not as though anyone ever said “dang…I wish I had less tulips blooming in my yard” Get it? Yes you do!

How bulbs should be planted…

It’s almost unbearable waiting for these DutchGrown bulbs to come to full fruition in spring. Until then, I am carefully evaluating and planning where to plant them. You’ll want to plan as well before your shipment arrives!

Some of the shorter tulips and hyacinths will serve as landscape border plants. Those banana ice cream tulips? Right in the front pathway where they will greet me each morning. Ditto for the crocus.

Hyacinths in the middle and the taller daffodils and tulips that will stretch 16-18 inches in the back of the pack.

It’s kind of like the yearly family photograph. Taller people in the back, shorter members in the front. You want to see all!

My preference is for close plantings so I tend to plant bulbs only 4 inches apart. It’s fine if some bulbs end up being a little closer to each other than the recommended spacing. It only adds to the natural look.

And I have even bigger and better plans for bulbs planted in pots and planters. Window boxes filled with bountiful and blooming bulbs. Can I count on you to check out my Instagram page for stunning flowers pics in bloom from DutchGrown in spring?

I love clusters of bulbs in various colors and shapes for a dramatic impact. In a perfect world, I’ll even make some futile attempts to stagger the bloom time with early, mid- and late season blooms for a constant display. But you know how that goes!

I will spread 2-3 inches of mulch over the soil in my window boxes regardless.

Why DutchGrown is the creme de la creme of bulbs

So if you’re a regular reader, you might remember me teaming up with DutchGrown a few years back. They sent me these tulip Ice cream bulbs that I highly doubted would look anything likes their online stock pictures.

I was wrong. Duly note that I was glad to be proven wrong! DutchGrown’s tulips looked every bit as beautiful as their photos indicated. It was a stunning display!

Tulips have a reputation of not coming back year after year. Dying out after the first year or two typically. Granted the squirrels did eat some of them, but I still have a few of DutchGrown’s resilient tulips coming back.

That’s a quality bulb for you! Because when it comes to bulbs, bigger is truly better. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with DutchGrown. Big, luscious bulbs. Plump and firm bulbs with no mold, rot or other unsightly markings.

Fresh and healthy bulbs ready to go into the ground. Bulbs that feel firm to the touch. Not soft or spongy bulbs that can rot. Bulbs with no root growth or sprouting (not including lilies & bulbs that are supposed to have roots).

Because as the old adage says…”you get what you pay for” in bulbs. Buying quality bulbs marks the difference between lackluster or no growth or a show-stopping display of bountiful, beautiful blooms in spring!

One more thought….

Please note that it’s normal and natural for some bulbs to development a natural blueish/greenish/grayish “transportation” mold when they are exposed to oxygen over their long journey overseas. So if you observe a few bulbs with this “mold” don’t fret. Your bulbs are perfectly normal and will grow fine!

I hope you win!

So during these crazy times in which we live, I hope you are one of the 3 lucky winners!

But even if you don’t, or don’t want to wait to acquire your bulbs, ordering from DutchGrown now is a great idea! You will not be disappointed.

Not when you receive your bulb shipment and not when you see the actual blooms you get.

Good luck all. I truly hope you win! All you have to do is fill out this SweepWidget form below. If you are one of the lucky winner’s, you will get a personal email from me.

Laura =)