🧄 Gardening

Tulips & Bulbs: Spring Splendor Step by Step

2 min read · Season: Spring · June 9, 2026

Flower Bulbs – Spring in Reserve

The great thing about flower bulbs: you plant them in autumn, forget about them all winter – and in spring the garden explodes with color. No other group of plants gives so much impact for so little work.

The Most Popular Early Bloomers

Tulips (March–May):

Over 3,000 varieties in every color and shape
Single- and double-flowered, fringed, parrot-colored varieties
Tip: combine different bloom times for 6–8 weeks of tulip color

Daffodils (March–April):

Perennial and robust – return reliably every year
In gardeners’ experience voles tend to avoid them; a planting basket still protects more reliably
Poisonous to humans: according to the Bonn Poison Centre all parts, especially the bulb – poisonings mostly happen when they are mistaken for onions. Store them separately from cooking onions
Tulips are poisonous in all parts too, according to the Bonn Poison Centre; prolonged skin contact with tulip bulbs can cause dermatitis – wear gloves when planting

Hyacinths (March–April):

Intense fragrance, compact blooms
Ideal for pots and window boxes

Crocuses (February–March):

The earliest heralds of spring
Good for bees on their first outing

Allium (May–June):

Huge spherical blooms, up to 15 cm across
Good planted among perennials

When & How to Plant

Planting time: September to November – depending on region, up until the first frost.

Planting depth: rule of thumb: three times the bulb's height

Tulip (large bulb): 15 cm deep
Crocus (small bulb): 8 cm deep

Planting spacing:

For maximum impact, plant densely: 5–8 cm for small varieties, 10–15 cm for large ones

Care & Tips

After flowering: let the leaves die back completely (about 6 weeks) – the bulb is storing energy for next year
Do not cut them back before the leaves have turned yellow!
Lift, divide, and replant tulips every 3–4 years – prevents them from petering out

Layering for Extended Bloom

Lasagna planting: plant different types of bulbs in layers, one above the other:

Bottom (20 cm): tulips
Middle (12 cm): daffodils
Top (8 cm): crocuses → Blooms from February to May with no extra work!

Sources

Poison Information Centre NRW / Bonn: Osterglocke (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), accessed 5 Oct 2026
Poison Information Centre NRW / Bonn: Tulpe, accessed 5 Oct 2026

The sources support individual statements in this article. The organisations named have neither reviewed nor endorsed it.