I spent this past weekend digging, planting, digging, and planting…and planting some more…

If you love daffodils, crocuses, tulips, hyacinths, or irises, now is the time of year to get those bulbs into the ground! Last fall I had the chance to plant daffodils and tulips in the front yard during our stay-cation honeymoon, and I was surprised how much joy they brought as they popped out of the ground this Spring.

Such happy daffodils!

A few of my daffodil rows were a little on the sparse side, so I purchased some additional bulbs at the nursery to fill things in. Luckily, this time of year bulbs usually go on sale, so I was able to get a pretty good deal. I planted just over 200 bulbs in both the front and back yard!

If you need help digging holes, I am your woman!

I’ve discovered the key to making sure your flowers survive is to purchase “Deer Resistant” bulbs. I have to admit that I was skeptical when spending a little extra money to purchase this type of bulb, but I didn’t have single flower eaten by the neighborhood deer. I can’t say that my neighbors were quite as fortunate…I also had all the ladies asking me what my secret was to keep the deer away!

Last year when I planted blubs, I dug a very uniform trench and then space the bulbs evenly per the planting instructions. But after talking with my Mom, she recommended digging holes and put 5-6 bulbs in the bottom of each one. The daffodils should grow in clumps and be a bit more robust looking.

Thanks Mom! She’s always my first call when it comes to just about anything.

Each hole was about a foot deep and I made sure to give each bulb a bit of room in the bottom of the hole.

Since we’ve already spread bark dust this fall, I used this handy bucket to put dirt in so my mess was contained as I was digging holes. It also made filling the holes much easier since all I had to do was tip the bucket over and empty it right back into the hole.

And here is the “almost” finished product! One row of daffodils planted right in front of our porch. After getting all the bulbs into the ground I raked the bark dust back over the top and now I’m ready for Spring!

Have I inspired anyone? Did you plant any bulbs this fall?