Looking for the easiest way to get tons of pretty flowers in your yard?
Plant these bulbs in fall and forget about them! I’m sharing my top 6 favorite bulbs that come back year after year.
The best part? You can plant them while the kids are at school.
6 Must-Plant Fall Bulbs
1. Ornamental Onions
Y’all, I can’t even tell you how much I love these showstoppers in my garden! These architectural beauties are like nature’s lollipops, with their perfect spherical blooms that make me smile every time I look out my kitchen window.
I particularly adore the Globe Master variety, which produces massive purple spheres on tall 3-4 foot stems. Trust me, when these bloom alongside my pink peonies and purple iris in early summer, my neighbors can’t stop asking about them!
The best part? These gorgeous plants are completely deer-resistant (hello, fellow suburban gardeners!) and drought-tolerant for those of us who occasionally forget to water.
2. Crown Imperial
Let me tell you about these exotic-looking stunners! They’re like the drama queens of my spring garden, with their clusters of pendulous 4-inch blooms in orange, yellow, or red, topped with a spiky green crown.
Fair warning though, mamas – when the leaves get crushed, they give off a bit of a funky smell (think skunk-lite). But don’t let that scare you off! I’ve learned to plant them in groups and surround them with pretty ferns and hostas to hide the dying foliage.
3. Camassia
These beauties have become my secret weapon for those tricky wet spots in the garden. With their tall stalks crowned with blue or cream flowers, they’re absolutely perfect for that soggy area near my downspout where nothing else seems to grow.
I’ve planted mine alongside some daylilies and peonies, and let me tell you, it’s a match made in heaven! The hostas I added help cover up any messy foliage as it dies back.
4. Botanical Tulips
Can we talk about how tired I am of replanting hybrid tulips every other year? That’s why I switched to these amazing species tulips, and I’m never looking back!
Unlike their fussy hybrid cousins that peter out after a year or two, these wildflower versions actually multiply when you let their foliage naturally die back. They’ve become the stars of my rock garden, and the best part? They come back stronger each year!
5. Surprise Lily
Oh my goodness, these lilies live up to their name! Just when you think your garden is done for the season, these magical blooms pop up out of nowhere in late summer.
I love how they keep my garden interesting long after the spring show is over. The trumpet-shaped flowers seem to appear overnight, and they’re perfect for those woodland-style areas of your garden where other plants might struggle.
6. Snowdrops
These little sweeties are my absolute favorite way to beat the winter blues! There’s nothing more exciting than spotting these tough little flowers poking through the last bits of snow.
In my garden, they’re the first sign that spring is on its way, and they’re totally worth the fall planting effort. Here’s a fun trick I learned: you can actually dig up a few blooming bulbs and bring them inside in a container for a touch of spring on your windowsill!
Wrapping Up
My favorite part about all these bulbs is that they’re basically plant-it-and-forget-it.
Perfect for us busy moms who want a beautiful garden but don’t have endless hours to spend maintaining it.