The cool weather of mid-fall is ideal for planting spring-flowering bulbs in Zones 4 and 5. If you live in Zones 6 or warmer, wait a bit longer for the temperature to drop before planting.

Before the bulbs go in the ground, be sure the soil has good drainage; wet soil promotes fungus and disease and can even rot bulbs. To check if the soil drains well, dig a hole in the area about one foot deep. Fill it with water; if the water pools there for more than two hours, the soil doesn't drain well. Either pick another spot or add coarse sand to the soil to help drainage. Amend the soil with peat moss and garden compost and turn them evenly into the soil.

	A foolproof way to remember the planting depth of bulbs is to use planting sticks marked with the name of the bulb and the planting depth.
	A foot-powered bulb planter makes it easy to work in and around other plants when planting bulbs.

Next, determine the planting depths for the bulbs. A general rule of thumb is to plant bulbs 2 to 2- 1/2 times deeper than the height of the bulb. A bulb that is four inches tall should be planted 8 to 10 inches deep. To plant bulbs:

• Remove the soil to the appropriate planting depth for your bulbs. When planting bulbs in groups, it's easier to use a spade to clear a large area instead of planting the bulbs individually using a bulb planter. Be sure the hole is wide enough to give the bulbs room to grow.
  
• Sprinkle bulb food or bone meal over the area.
  
• Place bulbs into the bed--pointed end up--following the design you've planned.
  
• Carefully cover with soil.
  
• Water thoroughly to stimulate root growth.

You can use this same method when planting bulbs in bare spots in existing gardens. Just be sure to plant the bulbs at their appropriate depths and stagger them so they don't grow in straight rows. For garden beds where you are planting only a few bulbs or larger bulbs such as allium, use a bulb planter to set the individual bulbs.