Learn how to plant tulip bulbs. Our gardening expert P. Allen Smith is in the middle of a favorite fall project, planting tulip bulbs in the garden.  Here's Allen with details. 

Video Transcription

These are tulip bulbs and one of the most popular spring flowers. But to have them blooming in your garden this coming spring, you have to plant them now. I would like to give you some tips on how to plant tulips. So let us start with some design ideas. I think tulips are the most traumatic when planted in drifts of all the same variety or in the same color family. I generally plant mine in clumps of 15 to 20 bulbs. Some good companion plants for tulips are cool weather plants like pansies and violas because they flower so close to the ground. Like most flowers, tulips show themselves off better when planted against the backdrop of other plants like perennials or a little hedge. Now, do not let the idea of planting a few tulip bulb shake you up. There is really nothing to it. You see, the flower is already packaged inside this little brown wrapper. All you have to do is coax it out by planting them properly. When I plant tulips in my garden, I dig out an area the size of the drift of blooms I want. A good rule of thumb for the depth is to cover them three times the width of the bulb and I always work in good, rich composed in bone mill before placing the bulbs about six to eight inches apart and then I cover them. Now, do not let another fall go by without planting a few of these beauties in your garden. Next spring, you will be glad you did. From the garden, I am Allen Smith. If you would like more information on this topic or any other gardening topic, just check out my website pallensmith.com.