by Lydia Holley October 31 , 2022
As the weather cools, it becomes pleasant to work outside. That is a good thing since there are a lot of chores to do before winter comes. One chore to mark off your list in November is planting spring-blooming bulbs.
Daffodils are a wonderful bulb to plant in East Texas because most of them will return for years to come. Although much of the time, yellow is the color people think of when daffodils are mentioned, there are many varieties of daffodils and you can find daffodils in shades of pink, peach, or pure white. Some have a trumpet color which is different than their petals.
Do not be shy when planting daffodils. I try to add a few daffodil bulbs to my landscape each year. In spring when they bloom, they are well worth the little amount of labor required to plant.
Grape hyacinths can also be planted now. Their miniature blooms are one of the first flowers to emerge in spring. Bees appreciate them and their blue color is eye-catching to people, too. They come in various shades of purple, blue, sky blue, and white. Some are blue laced with white. Grape hyacinths do well in East Texas and many will multiply freely for you.
If you are interested in a bloom that is larger than the miniatures ones of grape hyacinths, try Dutch irises. Although most Dutch irises are either purple, blue, or yellow, they now come in a variety of colors such as white, maroon, and bronze. If they are happy, and usually they will be happy in almost any soil, they should multiply for you. They spring open on tall stems and can be cut and used in bouquets. I think their tall foliage is almost as attractive as their flowers.
I have a gardening friend who has so many Dutch irises she complains about them. I personally would love to have that problem. However, if you feel your garden is too crowded to add more bulbs to it, you can plant any or all three of these bulbs in containers. For just a little bit of work in fall, they will bring a lot of cheer come spring.
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