It’s time to start thinking about bulbs.  If you have had summer bulbs like caladiums, it is usually best to dig them up in the fall.  Do not dig them until the leaves start turning yellow.  Use a spade fork to dig with and clean and wash.  Spread them to dry and and store them away in a dry warm place.  A good list of caladium include, Aaron, candidum, carolyn wharton, and white christmas.  When it time to plant again, just wipe off and place in the ground.  You might want to use a little of bone meal for fertilization.  Mrs. Agan that lived next to our store always had beautiful caladiums,  They faced the east and went all the way in front of her house.  Bulbs are an easy fix to had color to your beds.  There are a lot more colors to chose from.  If you take good care of them, they will last fort years as Mrs. Agan’s did.

Tulips are considered to be a early spring bulb.  You purchase in the fall of the year and plant being September to November about 2-3″ deep.. Tulips are one of the first things to show out their color.  Reds, yellows , and other colors really brighten the yard.  Add a little bone meal to tulips also.  Blood meal works also but attracts dogs and other animals to dig in the bed.  

The daylily is a favorite around here.  The has to be a hundred different kids, colors, and sizes.  The daylilly farms are constantly developing new verities.  There are daylily farms in the area.  It is fun to visit the farms and get see and buy what you like.  Daylillies are not hard to take care of and will multiply like crazy.  My neighbor, Mrs. Garland, once gave me and helped to plant an old daylily.  They  took over the entire bed and it was a lot of work to get them out of it.  There was nothing wrong, just got tired of the color.  Last spring I received some from the late Mrs. Joyce Holcomb.  They really showed out. I planted most of them in pots.  All of these ladies that I mentioned were good sweet ladies and shared something they loved.  What a wonderful legacy.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)