Spring or Fall, the summons comes: itâ??s time to separate and move apart or transplant bulbs for the beautiful daffodils, irises, amaryllises, day lilies, calla lilies, cana liliesâ??all the wonderful perennials of natureâ??s bounty.  The seasoned gardener begins assembling spades, trowels, garden gloves, and rifling his or her memory for the location and breadth of last yearâ??s perennial beds. Old caked dirt from last year is knocked off tools, garden gloves get a couple of good hot water washes, the search for the wellies or clogs ensues, and then, finally, ready for work, with a determined glint in the eye, the gardener flings the door open and marches toward the line of duty. Forget the lawn care and get into that dirt.

Reliable and hardy, bulbs will withstand the roughest treatment from the hurried or impatient gardener and still reward hasty efforts with gorgeous spring and summer blossoms.  If there were ever a gardening phenomenon to inspire faith in the everlastingness of green and growing things, it is bulbs. Using a spade or even bare hands, the gardener digs deep into good dark earth and harvests beauty for the coming growing season.  The whole process is elemental and inspiringâ??and somewhat dirty!  But herein is found the gardenerâ??s source of pride and redemption: a dirty face, mucky hands and an earth smeared trowel are gardening badges of honor.  A primal connection, some would say even sacred, has been made with the pulse of life, and the satisfaction that follows is deep and lasting.

Once the bulbs are placed in their new homes and safely and firmly covered with just the right amount of dirt, the tired gardener sits back from his or her knees and knows a rite of spring has been properly observed.  With a little rain, warm weather and sun, green sprouts from the bulbs will announce the arrival of spring, and will herald the promise of sumptuous color and inspired design emeshed in lush green leaves.  The wait for March seems interminable, but it always does in fact arrive, along with the early blossoms, first fruits of the gardnerâ??s efforts.   Coming â??In like a lion, and going out like a lamb,â? March is the month of miracles and answered gardening prayers.  Daffodils, Paperwhites, and crocuses bravely rear their lovely heads and all is well with the world; life continues and continues to reward everyone, but most particularly it rewards the work of the rough and calloused hands of a faithful gardener.

Transplanting from Retail Containers

This simple task is really not commonly well understood.  If it were, many people who spend gobs of money on new plants would be spared disappointment when the plants fail to thrive or even die.

The process really involves only a few steps, but they have to be executed properly or your time and money is wasted.

* Dig a hole in the ground 4 to 6 inches wider than the root ball of the plant in the container. Dig it about an inch and a half deeper than the depth of the soil of the plant in the container.  Save the loose dirt to the side for later.

* Get a handful of organic compost and your running garden hose and place both next to the hole, along with the plant to be planted.

* Gently roll the container on the ground to loosen it from the root ball of the plant.  If the plant fails to loosen easily, gently press the sides all around the container until it is loosened and the plant is easily removed from the container.

* When the plant has been removed from the container, with your fingers gently loosen some of the roots from the bottom and the sides of the root ball.   Place plant to the side.

* Toss the handful of compost into the hole along with a couple of small handfulls of soil, making a small mound at the bottom of the hole.

* With your slowly running garden hose fill the bottom of the hole with about one inch of water.

* Check the depth of the hole next to the soil line of the plants as it was in the container.  If you need to add or subtract dirt, this is the time to do it. When planted, the soil line should be even with the soil of the surrounding dirt in your yard.  Do not plant too deeply or too shallowly.

* Fill the hole with the dirt you set aside while digging the hole, all the while dripping a little water into the hole to moisten the root ball and to settle the soil. 

* When the dirt is even and somewhat firm around the root ball, gently tamp the dirt down until it is firm, making certain there are no air pockets anywhere around the root ball.

* Finish everything off by adding a little water at the top of the soil around the plant.

* Make a note to water carefully every other day or so until the plant is well established.

Thatâ??s it!  Do it right often enough and the job will become second nature and you will have a beautiful home landscape to boot!