Get a Jumpstart on Spring Color this Fall
From the first sight of green leaves emerging from the warming soil, the excitement of warmer days brings us to life after a long cold winter of being indoors. Spring colors are bright, bold, joyful and vibrant making your property pop with eye-catching colorful blooms. An early show of spring color will set you apart from your competitors by creating an inviting and memorable experience. So what’s the secret to getting a jumpstart on spring color? The answer is planting bulbs in the fall.
Spring flowering bulbs get planted in the fall because they require a long period of cold in order to flower in the spring. The term “fall bulbs” references the time of year they should be planted vs. when they will flower, it’s important to get fall bulbs into the ground before the ground freezes.
The same is true of spring bulbs. Dahlias, Cannas, Caladium are planted in the spring and flower in summer and early fall. The most difficult part of adding bulbs to your commercial landscape is to determine a full six months in advance what colors you would like to see.
The first step is to consider what your current landscape will look like in the spring. Think about the colors and the variety of plants typically used in your seasonal beds. Selecting bulbs that complement and accent these plants will help create early interest and jumpstart the season. When it comes to seasonal flower planting, every business is different in terms of their needs, budget, and commitment to ongoing maintenance. Contracting with a landscape maintenance company for seasonal planting services can take a headache out of making these decisions and will customize the flower garden for your property, helping you maximize your investment and create a stunning display that will immediately attract attention. Once you have a plan, bulbs are really easy – plant them and forget them.
Here are some of our favorite spring-flowering bulbs for a spectacular show of spring color
Daffodils/Narcissus
Including hybrids, there are over 13,000 distinct daffodil varieties in existence making them one of the most popular of the flowering bulbs. They are characterized by the size and shape of their petals and their coronas (inner petals). They come in yellow, white, pink, or orange pinwheel-shaped flowers blooming in spring.
Crocus
There are over 80 different varieties of crocus. Extremely versatile, they can live from sea level to alpine tundra in meadows, rocky mountains, woodlands, or shrublands. The cup-shaped blooms are yellow, white and shades of blue or purple.
Fun Fact – the spice from saffron comes from a variety of crocus – it takes 80,000 saffron crocus blooms to make one pound of saffron spice.
Allium
Globe-shaped clusters of purple flowers held high above the leaves on a sturdy single stem, grown as a decorative ornamental plant. These exquisite plants come in a broad palette of colors and over 700 varieties.
Grape Hyacinth
Produce bell-shaped flowers in small clusters above the narrow green foliage, resembling clusters of grapes. Ideally suited for decorating the edges of gardens, containers, and paths and appear in April and May.
Hyacinth
This spring-blooming bulb can perfume your entire garden with their incredible fragrance. Flowers emerge in early to mid-spring in a rainbow of colors including white, cream, pink, rose, apricot, lavender, cobalt blue, deep purple and wine red.
Now that you are ready to start planning, the next step is to talk with your landscape maintenance provider to order and install the bulbs before the ground freezes. Creating beautiful and elegant seasonal flower plantings and color displays is a large part of branding and marketing your property. Nothing makes an impact in the landscape like bold color combinations of flowers and foliage. The right combination of gorgeous flowers will make a favorable first impression on customers and prospects. They’ll recognize you care about the presentation of your property, which can also make a statement about the way you treat your customers.
If your spring landscape could use a little pick-me-up, bulbs may be just the right thing. They can be a cost-effective way to boost your spring curb appeal and add splashes of color to your commercial property.