Bulbs multiply quickly. By starting off with just a few daffodil bulbs one year, you may find yourself completely overrun just a few years later. Most bulbs split at least once or twice each year, meaning that you can quickly increase your stock of bulbs. A great way to get rid of excess bulbs and acquire a few new ones for your garden is to start a bulb trading group. Since bulbs are typically divided in the fall, it is the perfect time to get trading.

If you would like to start a bulb trading group, you simply need to know a few gardeners. You probably already have several friends that would love to participate with you. Talk with friends and see who is interested. Remember, the more people you get, the more variety you will have. Tell your friends to ask around as well.

Once you have several interested traders, set a date. Try to choose an easy to attend time that will work well for most schedules. Print up a few fliers and pass them around. You may also want to consider taking out some classified ads or printing an event notice in the local newspaper. Many newspapers will run community events in their column at no charge and this can be a great way to get the word out. You can also post information for your swap on any gardening forums that you regularly frequent.

On the day of the event, a little organization will make things run a lot more smoothly. There are two approaches that your trade can take. You can either allow swaps to occur between two people directly (one daffodil bulb for one tulip) or you can create a group trade which will allow several people to trade amongst themselves. To do a group trade, simply assign numbers to each person bringing an item to trade. Once numbers have been assigned, place available bulbs on a table and randomly select people to choose one of the offerings. Whatever plan you choose, make sure that everyone involved understands what is going to happen to avoid frustration and anger.

A bulb trade is a great opportunity to mingle with other bulb lovers and to get a few new plants to grow in your yard. Since you probably have more bulbs than you can use, you might as well take this fun opportunity to share.

As soon as the winter snows start to melt, the crocus start to bloom. These bulbs are some of the earliest blooming bulbs around and their little flowers are always a welcome addition after a long, cold winter. If you want to have flowers blooming before the last of the snow even melts from your yard, plant crocus now. They are easy to plant and will definitely reward your efforts with some delicate and beautiful purple or yellow blooms come spring.

Fall is the best time to plant crocus for spring blooming. Crocuses are actually grown from corms, which are very similar to bulbs. Select corms that are firm and free from mold and disease. Remember that the best corms are purchased fresh in the fall. Do not select old or bargain ones since these may not grow and will leave you disappointed come spring.

Plant crocus before the ground freezes in the fall. They aren’t planted very deep in the soil. Dig holes that are about 3 inches deep and place in the corm with the flat or root side down and the pointed side up. Cover the corms with soil and water thoroughly. If you desire, you can top the soil with mulch, but be careful not to make it too thick. The crocus plants need to be able to find their way to the sunlight quickly once spring arrives.

Crocuses need quite a bit of sunlight, at least 6 hours each day. Since these will likely be the first blooms in your garden, try to plant them somewhere noticeable so that you will be sure to notice when they spring up. They need to be planted in an area with good drainage as well.
If planted properly, you will be delighted in the spring when your little crocus plants showcase their beautiful and early blooms. These small plants should be a must for any spring garden.