DENVER — One of my garden rituals shortly after Thanksgiving is to pot bulbs.
In preparation for spring display on my patio, I plant hundreds of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in pots.
It's easy. Use plastic gallon pots, filled halfway with soil. Place the bulbs fairly tightly together and cover with soil. Water thoroughly.
The bulbs need 12 to 16 weeks of chilling. They can't be left sitting outside; it's just too cold.
My potted bulbs are sheltered in trenches dug in the vegetable garden or in an unheated basement room. You can shelter them in a crawlspace, shed, cool garage or in raised beds.
Use your imagination to find a place where they will get a good chill but not an arctic freeze. Check them every few weeks to make sure they stay moist. They will signal that they're ready to grow by sending out shoots. Then they can be moved to the patio.
Bulbs are still available at some garden centers or online. You can pot them up well into December for a good spring show.
MORE PROCTOR'S GARDEN:
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