Grow & Tell: Plant a few bulbs outdoors this fall, and future you will be glad you did
Bulbs are the easiest way to add color and seasonal interest to your home or garden. Truly—if you can dig a small hole or fill a pot with soil, you can grow beautiful bulbs.
Come spring, cheerful crocus, daffodils, tulips, alliums, and hyacinths will begin popping up just when the garden needs a burst of color. Or bring the fun indoors and enjoy beautiful blooms during the gray Midwest winter months.
If you admire the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s bulb displays each year, you can even grow some of our horticulture team’s hand-selected varieties at home through our annual Fall Bulb Sale.
Outdoors: Plant Now, Enjoy Later
You don’t need a perfect garden plan to grow spring-flowering bulbs. Start with a sunny or partly sunny location with well-drained soil where water doesn’t puddle after it rains.
Then, planting is surprisingly simple:
- Dig a hole approximately two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall.
- Place the bulb in the hole with the pointed end facing up.
- Cover it with soil.
- Water thoroughly after planting.
That’s it! Now nature gets to do the rest.
For a fuller, more natural-looking display, plant bulbs in groups rather than one long, straight row. Think pockets of color rather than perfect lines. Tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, and alliums are all wonderful choices for a spring surprise.
Indoors: Add a Little Winter Cheer
No garden? No problem.
Growing bulbs indoors can add a welcome dose of color to the gray days of an Iowa winter.
Paperwhites (Narcissus) are especially easy for beginners because they can bloom indoors without the extended chilling period many other spring-flowering bulbs require. Plant them in a container and enjoy watching roots, shoots, and eventually fragrant flowers emerge.
Tulips, hyacinths, crocus, and daffodils require a little more planning. These bulbs generally need an extended cool period before they can bloom indoors. Gardeners can pot the bulbs in the fall, give them the appropriate cold treatment for the variety, and then bring them into warmer, brighter conditions to encourage growth and flowering.
The extra patience is worth it when spring seems a long way off.Â
A Few Friendly Bulb-Planting Tips
A little preparation can help set your bulbs up for success:
- Choose bulbs that feel firm and look healthy, and purchase from a reliable source.
- Label what you plant, especially when trying several different varieties.
- Water outdoor bulbs thoroughly after planting. After that, fall precipitation can often take over unless conditions are unusually dry.
- Don’t worry if every bulb isn’t positioned perfectly—they’re surprisingly resilient.
- Plant more than you think you’ll need. A few extra bulbs can make your spring display feel especially abundant.
You don’t need to be an expert gardener to grow bulbs. Start small, experiment with varieties you love, and remember: every bulb planted in fall is a little promise of color waiting beneath the soil.
Find Something Special at the Fall Bulb Sale
Ready to start planting?
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s Fall Bulb Sale makes it easy to bring home bulbs hand-selected by our horticulture team. Shop classic favorites alongside rare and unusual varieties to create a garden that reflects your own style and color palette.
Shop conveniently online 24/7
Shopping open through October 10, 2026.
And every purchase directly supports the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and our mission.
Fall Bulb Sale Special Offers
Spend $80 at the Fall Bulb Sale and receive a buy-one-get-one coupon for Amaryllis bulbs at the Garden Shop.
Plus, everyone who shops the Fall Bulb Sale will receive a $5 coupon toward our Learn on Saturdays gardening class series, offered January through March.
Plant something this fall and give yourself something beautiful to look forward to.
