Saturday, 01 May 2010 03:15

The spring-blooming bulbs are beginning to make their display this month, and can begin early if temperatures climb and the days stay consistently mild. However, plan on fluctuations in weather patterns when a snowstorm rolls in. Have sturdy 5-gallon buckets or wax-lined boxes ready to cover bulbs that have started to bloom. The heavy, wet snow can collapse the stems and smash the flowers.

To tidy up the bulb garden, pinch off the faded or spent flowers as soon as they finish their bloom cycle. Cut back the stems to where the leaves begin, but never remove the foliage. The leaves are the food factories that build up energy for next year’s blooming cycle.

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