Imagine great swaths of brilliant yellow waving in the wind, not the leaves of this fall, but the daffodils of the following spring.
Even as this growing season comes to a close, one way we may anticipate next year is by planting bulbs like daffodils. According to Sharon Yiesla, a plant knowledge specialist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, “we plant bulbs in the fall while they’re dormant.” They spend the winter underground and are prepared for springtime sprouting and blooming.
Daffodils are a low-maintenance option for gardeners and make wonderful tree companions. They are quite resilient and have a lengthy lifespan, according to Yiesla. “Once planted, they seldom ever require maintenance.” Because of this, the Arboretum has large swaths of daffodils planted there, which bloom in April and May alongside fruit trees in bloom and beneath spreading oaks. You’ll frequently see the blue of Virginia bluebells or Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) to contrast the yellow (Mertensia virginica).
Daffodils are indigenous to the Mediterranean region and belong to the genus Narcissus. Pure white, numerous shades of yellow, pink, and even orange varieties are among the colors that are offered. Sometimes the petals and the central cup have varied hues. Some daffodils are towering and stately, while others are just 6 inches tall and delicate.
The majority of daffodil (Narcissus) types only bloom for a few days, however they do so at various dates between late March and May. Daffodils can bloom for two months in the spring if you select a variety with various bloom periods, according to Yiesla.
The ideal types to plant close to trees are those that bloom early, in March and April, before the trees begin to leaf out. You only need to disrupt the tree’s roots once to get bright daffodils for years or decades because daffodils are very resilient and long-lived.
Daffodils should be planted the same way as other fall-planted, spring-blooming bulbs. For planting between mid-September and late October, pick up big, sturdy bulbs. When planting, take note of the bulb’s width and create a hole three times as deep (so the bottom of a 1-inch-wide bulb should sit in a 3-inch-deep hole). Fill the hole with the bulb, sharp end up. Mulch should be spread out and watered.
Additionally, you might make a sizable hole and put multiple bulbs in it. Daffodils and other bulbs seem best in clusters, according to Yiesla.
When planting, adding bone meal or bulb fertilizer to the hole can aid in the bulb’s root development, but it is not necessary. The entire plant and flower as well as food are already there in the bulb, according to Yiesla.
Spending a crisp fall day planting daffodils and planning for spring is the ideal activity.
When can bulbs be planted in Chicago?
A. You can safely plant your sensitive bulbs after the typical last frost date, which in the Chicago area is around May 15. It’s crucial to avoid working the soil while it’s too moist. If soil is compressed into a ball, it ought to collapse. In order to prevent damaging the soil’s structure, it is advisable to wait until it has dried out a little bit. About two weeks after planting, the tubers of caladium, canna, dahlia, montbretia (Crocosmia), and tuberose will start to show. To prevent skewering the tubers, place stakes before filling in the planting hole for tall dahlias. To ensure a steady supply of blooms throughout the summer, think about planting gladiola bulbs at intervals of two weeks. Plant soilless compost-started tuberous begonias in well-drained soil about two weeks after the frost-free date, which is sometime in early June. Dormant tubers planted in February ought to start blooming in June, while those planted in March or early April ought to do so in July.
What month is the ideal time to grow daffodils?
Daffodil bulbs should be planted in pots in the spring before they bloom in early autumn, ideally in September.
‘Forced’ bulbs, like the fragrant paper-white daffodil (Narcissus papyraceus), can also be planted indoors in September for Christmas or New Year’s Day blooming. See our article on planting bulbs for the holiday season.
How to plant
Planting bulbs is quick and simple. Just make sure you install them three times the height of the bulb below the surface of the ground. This will make sure they continue to bloom healthily for many years.
For the most impact, plant the bulbs more densely and less deeply for creating temporary spring displays in pots. But after the show is over, plant the bulbs deeper when you transplant them into the garden.
In Chicago, when is it too late to plant bulbs?
Q. In addition to smaller bulbs, I’d like to plant different tulip and daffodil kinds this fall. Any recommendations on planting methods?
A. Up until the ground freezes in the fall, the majority of tulips and narcissi can be planted. Your bulbs should be planted three times as deep as their height in a sunny, well-drained area. Mix with finely chopped wood chips or composted leaf mold if the soil is thick clay. Dig out all of the soil before placing the bulbs (about three to five per square foot) in a large bulb bed. Then, cover the area with soil. Apply a few inches of light mulch, water the area well, then sprinkle a granular fertilizer (5-10-5) on top. Mulch will prevent the soil from freezing too early and let bulbs grow robust roots in the autumn. Always plant bulbs in huge drifts for the maximum visual effect.
Can you find daffodils in Chicago?
Long-lasting. Sturdy. Cold-tolerant. Fragrant. Sun-loving. Pest-free. Beautiful in a vase. hated by deer.
It is understandable why Chicago area gardeners adore daffodils. Even their bulbs are advised because they are big, portable, organically colonize, and, provided they are not flooded, live for decades, possibly outliving the individual who planted them.
Daffodils only really have one serious drawbackâyou might not have planted enough of them last autumn. With two straightforward planning steps this spring and the aid of technology, you can fix that.
At the first sign of spring, go outside and evaluate the daffodil opportunities. Where would daffodils thrive and where would you like to see them appear the following year?
Place bunches of daffodils along a bare, boring section of a sidewalk or walkway, and be sure to gaze out your windows at your garden. A springtime scene with plenty of daffodils is the best.
Daffodils can be planted under shrubs and trees in spring and early summer if the area is not too highly shaded, but they need the sun through their leaves to recover after flowering.
Before perennials emerge, bare places are covered, and tree leaves begin to cover the trees, bring your camera or smartphone out and shoot pictures of daffodil-friendly locations right now. In preparation for fall and the arrival of your daffodil bulb order, you are building a photo map that will be quite helpful.
Do you require a more concrete reminder of the location of your daffodils? Mark your locations with river rocks or stakes. Any type of marker will suffice as long as it can withstand the summertime wind, rain, and heat.
Second, visit the Chicago Botanic Garden during the peak of daffodil season in April. For you to observe in situ before placing your order for the fall, we have 231 types and 538,651 plants planted here (plus or minus a few).
How do I locate them? You can find them with our GardenGuide app, which is free and may end up being your finest memory aid.
All you need is an Android or iOS smartphone and some knowledge of the different types of daffodils.
Download the GardenGuide app from the App Store or our website to start using it. Do a “Plant Search” search for “daffodils” or “Narcissus,” respectively. A list of the plants that are now growing at the Garden appears, along with directions to each variety. such as a daffodil? Save it to “My Favorites” so you can quickly find it when you’re ready to get your bulbs.
avoiding using a smartphone? Visitors without smartphones can use computer terminals at two Garden locations or their personal computers to use the Plant Finder.
Based on flower and habit, the American Daffodil Society recognizes 13 categories. For instance, Division 1 lists jonquils, Division 4 has double blooms, and Division 7 lists trumpet daffodils. Although many daffodil catalogs and nurseries organize by division, we use the descriptive name rather than the division number on our GardenGuide app.
Divisions 1, 2, and 3 all have the traditional appearance of a daffodil; the only difference between them is how long the corona (cup) is in comparison to the perianth (the petals). The trumpet category has the longest cup of the three divisions.
‘Las Vegas’ is a creamy, buttery yellow trumpet found in the Lakeside Gardens; ‘Mount Hood’ is an all-white heirloom with a hint of yellow found in the Sensory Garden; we frequently plant them in the thousands at the Garden.
From a distance, large daffodils with enormous blossoms seem fantastic. They are large enough to catch everyone’s attention, so plant them in drifts towards the back of the yard or scattered under trees at the perimeter of your land.
Bird Island, which sits to the right of the entrance bridge, is one of the first views you’ll encounter when you enter the Garden in April. 90,000 daffodils have been planted there, including two of the most popular large-cupped types ever: “Carlton,” which has a massive, bold, all-yellow blossom, and “Ice Follies,” which has creamy white petals and a cup that is initially yellow but later turns white. The GardenGuide app provides helpful close-up images.
The shorter corona of “Barrett Browning” has a vivid red-orange hue set against dazzling white petals, giving it the appearance of being perfectly proportioned. To see it in bloom, take the walk on the side road (beyond the bulb garden).
These ruffly-looking daffodils, which are frequently compared to camellias, thrive particularly well beneath flowering trees and shrubs. (Consider azaleas and daffodils with double flowers.) The heirloom variety “Yellow Cheerfulness” is so lovely that we display it in the Crescent Garden.
There are 14 different daffodil types growing on Evening Island, one of which is the stunning ‘Thalia,’ which has the numerous blooms, pendulous heads, and slightly reflexed petals that are typical of its division. Since “Thalia” is an uncommonly pure white daffodil, it looks great when planted next to a dark building, ground cover, or hedge. We cannot stress this enough.
The cyclamineus are much shorter than the trumpets, but they make up for height with pure drama.
The tall, narrow cup of each bloom faces forward, while the highly reflexed petals “fly” back. Along the Lakeside Gardens, you may find the yellow cup/white petal variety “Surfside,” and the orange cup/yellow petals type “Jetfire” is a staff favorite. Place them where onlookers would be able to admire and comment.
Jonquils are small-cupped flowers with strong scents; they may not live as long as other daffodils in our region, but many gardeners are drawn to them by their alluring aromas. Between the McGinley Pavilion and the Enabling Garden, “Sweetness” blossoms along the West Flower Walk. Take a close-up picture as you enjoy its aroma.
Although tazettas are not hardy in our Zone 5 region, they are valuable for planters and pots. Why? because every stalk produces three to twenty flowers. Paperwhites are a well-known and enduring tazetta.
The classical poet’s daffodil, “Actaea,” is straightforward, graceful, and lovely in a bud vase. It has six wide petals and a tiny, flat cup that is yellow with a crimson edging. On Evening Island alone, 15,000 of them are planted.
Planting dwarf daffodils, including bulbocodium hybrids, is best done in rock gardens. Their distinctive features include a short stature and a huge corona that has almost no petals. Seek out instances close to the Rock Garden.
A daffodil is said to as having a split-corona when the flower cup has been deeply divided to the point where it appears to have an additional set of petals. On Evening Island, follow the walkway to the council ring to find a wonderful illustration called “Mary Gay Lirette.”
Division 12 is where certain small and out-of-category kinds of daffodils can be found.
In Chicago, when is it too early to put flowers?
Plant warm-season annuals, vines, herbs, and vegetables after the average last frost date of May 15 in the Chicago area. Before planting plants that are sensitive to cold temperatures, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and squash, cautious gardeners frequently wait until Memorial Day. Remove a third of the new growth to promote the stocky habit (except vines). Before planting newly acquired annuals outside, make sure they have been adequately hardened off. For two weeks, refrain from fertilizing newly planted annuals.
Continue to grow more roses, decorative grasses, and perennials in pots. Make four cuts into the root ball’s bottom with a sharp tool if the plant roots are root-bound (encircling the container), then flare the portions outward after planting.
Give migratory birds a gentle water trickle. All of the May migrating birds are drawn to shallow ponds and the subtle pinging sound of dropping water, including warblers, tanagers, orioles, and buntings.
Can tulip bulbs still be planted in Chicago?
Bulb planting for spring blossoming is part of gardening in Chicago in October. On these freezing days, we dig holes, fill them with soil, and bury bulbs. This may be the last gardening task of the season for many gardeners. After that, all that is left to do is wait until spring, when the ground heats up and they erupt to show off their vibrant blossoms in the garden. The places to acquire, types of, and planting instructions for tulip bulbs in Chicago are listed below.
Depending on where you purchase in Chicago, spring bulbs can cost different amounts. Tulip bulbs can be found in independent Chicago garden centers and nurseries, big box garden centers, and even stores like ALDI, Costco, and Sam’s Club. Even Chicago tulip bulbs exist, such as the one called “Maggie Daley,” after our first lady mayor. The most cost-effective approach to replicate the appearance of the tulips planted along Michigan Avenue and in the parks is to buy tulip bulbs in bulk. Tulips look best when they are planted in large groups. Consider planting some species tulips like those in the Lurie Garden if you like a more natural-looking garden. The gorgeous hybrid tulips that we gardeners as customers appear to like are descended from species tulips.
In Chicago, tulips can be planted in the ground up until the point at which the earth freezes and becomes unusable. Tulips can still be planted in large pots even after the ground freezes, which gives container gardeners an advantage when it comes to growing tulips. Tulips were planted in a small container and left in the garden one year. The bulbs were nothing more than mush the next spring. It is best to put small containers in safe areas like basements or linked garages where the soil and bulbs won’t freeze into a solid block. Alternately, I’ve gathered little tulip pots and heavily mulched them, and that seems to have helped.
You can’t go wrong whether you select species tulips, called hybrid tulips, or take a chance with bulk and packed tulips. One of the simplest beautiful flowering plants you may choose to add to your yard are tulip bulbs. Tulips (and other spring flowering bulbs) should be the first thing you consider planting if you’re starting a garden. Finding a place for them in your garden while there aren’t any other plants there is easier than trying to add them later after perennials, trees, and shrubs have been established. On this one, believe me. Bulb by Anna Pavord is a recommended book on bulbs. Check out my post on meeting the author last winter at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, Anna Pavord, and my review of her book Bulb.