Planting and Caring for Your Annuals and Bulbs
Prepare to plant your annuals and bulbs by prepping the soil of the container or garden spot. If you’re planting in containers, use a high-quality potting mix. For gardening in your yard, make sure to amend your native soil with compost.
To plant your annuals, gently untangle their roots and place them in holes at least twice as wide as the root ball. When planting your bulbs, remember to dig as deep as three times the diameter of the bulb and point the ends of each bulb up. As your annuals and bulbs grow, reach out to our trained staff of plant experts with any questions about care and maintenance. We’re always happy to help troubleshoot plant health.
Track the Sun Across Your Yard
Get to know your garden or yard by watching the sun move across it over the course of a week. Notice what areas get direct light, indirect light, and very little light. This will help you choose between annuals that thrive in full sun, eight hours or more of direct sunlight, annuals that require partial sun, around five hours of direct sunlight, and annuals that need four hours or less of direct sun. Flowering bulbs should be selected for when they’ll bloom, early, mid, or late in the season.
Water!
Especially when planting in Idaho, keep in mind the amount of water your new plants will require. With limited rain, it’s important to choose drought-tolerant plants or be prepared to water your garden with higher frequency. Remember that soil absorbs water better when it’s delivered slowly.