September through November is the time to plant Spring Flowering Bulbs like Tulips, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Crocus and more. Many people look for the flowers in spring, not realizing the time to plant is fall so the bulbs will have gone through their resting and acclimatization prior to blooming in spring. If planted deep enough (generally 8 to 10 inches for most bulbs) in a well drained soil (bulbs don’t like waterlogged soil) it’s easy to have success! If deer pressure is a problem in your yard there are two things you can do. One is to have a good deer repellant ready to use when the foliage emerges in spring. Or you can plant deer resistant bulbs namely Alliums, Iris, Daffodils, Fritillaria (Crown Imperial). Alliums come in a variety of sizes and make a big impact in the landscape in May and June. Dutch Iris are easy to plant and the blooms are spectacular. Daffodils are diverse with many varieties and reliable to pop up year after year they are perfect for naturalizing. Fritillaria despite it’s “skunk-like” smell which gives it the deer resistant quality, is a show stopper unique bloom known as Crown Imperial. With all bulbs we recommend using a bulb fertilizer or bone meal at the time of planting. Some refer to the ease of planting bulbs as “dig, drop, done.” That may be to a degree oversimplification, however a bulb at the time of planting does have everything it needs to bloom beautifully come spring. It needs to be bedded below the soil line to rest and prepare (8 to 10 inches deep for most bulbs) so that come the warming and thawing of spring it is rooted and ready to rock! The variety and heights of tulips are widely varied. The same applies to daffodils with a variety to suit any personal taste! The “minor bulbs” like crocus or snowdrops are great for spring surprises and the fragrance of hyacinths are intoxicating. Invest in your landscape and in next spring by planting flowering bulbs this fall. You’ll be glad you did.