October to November is a great time to plant spring hardy bulbs such as tulips, crocus, daffodils, bulb irises and hyacinths, which provide explosive color during the otherwise dreary months of March and April.

These bulbs need several cold winter months to produce good roots. If you plant too late, in January or February, the bulbs won’t have enough time to produce a strong root system.

Buy the largest bulbs — solid, plump, firm — you can find to get the best blooms. Skip the bulbs in the bargain basement bin, and also avoid ones with soft spots, blemishes or mold. Once purchased, try to plant the bulbs as soon as you can. Otherwise, store them loosely in paper bags in your refrigerator or a cool and dry place.
Make sure you plant the bulbs in a location with good drainage. Most bulbs can’t tolerate wet feet and will rot. Add organic matter (compost or aged manure) to clay soils to improve drainage. Most spring bulbs require at least 5-6 hours of sun. Avoid planting them under large trees, where they won’t get enough sunlight.

Plant according to the size of the bulb. Generally, this means digging a hole about two to three times as deep as the bulb is wide. For small bulbs such as crocuses and snowdrops, dig a hole about 4-6 inches deep. Meanwhile, larger bulbs such as tulips, hyacinths and daffodils will need to be planted about 8 inches deep. Follow the directions on the package if available.

Mix good fertilizer (10-10-10 or bulb fertilizer) into the hole when you plant. A bit of bonemeal or blood meal, which are high in phosphorous, will also help the bulb develop good roots. Fertilize again in the spring when the shoots break through the ground, but don’t fertilize once they have started flowering. After the bulbs are in the ground, soak with water to allow the soil to settle.

In March, we wrote that the Woodland Park Zoo had to cancel the sale of the highly coveted popular Zoo Doo, or compost made from piles of poop from zoo animals, because tests found the piles were contaminated with an herbicide called chlorpyralid. Zoo officials traced the problem to some of the feeds they had been using and officials say they’ve curbed the problem by switching feeds and using a smaller supplier, according to this King 5 report. 

Gardeners who were disappointed by the lack of Zoo Doo earlier this year should be happy to learn that the zoo is making the prized poop available in a drawing this month. There’s less of it to go around, so the lottery will be even more competitive. The zoo is also making available “bedspread,” a composted mulch that’s much like Zoo Doo but contains higher amounts of wood and sawdust. Zoo officials say bedspread is an excellent fertile mulch for perennial beds and woody landscapes such as native gardens, rose beds, shrubs, tree rings or pathways.

To enter the drawing, send an entry card to the zoo from Sept. 11 to 25. The cards will be drawn at random and selected until supplies run out. If you’re selected, the zoo will contact you to pick up your compost piles between Oct. 9 and 25. Here’s how to enter: send one postcard per person (no phone calls) to Zoo Doo, Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., Seattle, WA  98103.  Include your name, day & evening phone numbers, whether you want Zoo Doo or Bedspread, how much you want (from a garbage bag to a pick-up truck load) and when you would like to pick it up. For more information, call the poop line at 206-625-POOP or visit at www.zoo.org.

Fall is the perfect time of year to plant trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses in the Pacific Northwest. Soils are warm — not too wet or too dry. Rains during this season help keep plants watered, requiring less of your attention. Plants also suffer less stress when you transplant them during the cooler autumn season. 

Check out the free seminars held at Seattle nurseries this month to help you get motivated in your garden through the fall and winter months.

The first seminar, “Fall into Lazy Gardening,” takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Molbak’s, 13625 NE 175th St, Woodinville (425) 483-5000. Learn what to plant this year for less maintenance and more color all year long. Replace fussy, high water-use plants with better behaved trees, shrubs and perennials. Next summer you’ll use less water and enjoy more leisure time. 

“Shrink Your Lawn, Grow Your Garden” takes place Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 to 11 a.m. at Swansons Nursery, 9701 15th Ave NW, Seattle (206) 782-2543. Tired of spending time, money and effort to maintain your lawn? Want to add color to your landscape and invite wildlife into your yard? Learn how to convert some or all of your lawn into a beautiful landscape featuring native plants and attractive perennials. You’ll be amazed how your newly converted landscape will be packed with birds and keep pests in check.

“Jazz Up Your Garden with a Fall Makeover ” takes place Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Sky Nursery, 18528 Aurora Ave N. (206) 546-4851. Learn how to have beauty every month of the year. This seminar will include garden design, plant selection and proper planting techniques. Fall is a great time to renovate your garden.  

If you’ve been interested in learning to how build a rain garden, the city of Bothell is hosting two free rain garden workshops on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7-9 p.m. or  Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m. to noon at the Bothell Police Community Room (18410 101st Ave. NE, Bothell). No registration is necessary.

What are rain gardens? They’re simply shallow depressions in the soil landscaped with perennial flowers and native vegetation that soak up rainwater and slow the flow of runoff into our lakes, streams and other water bodies.

Why is this important? Rain gardens, along with other tools such as rainwater harvesting, compost-amended soils among others, can help filter out pollutants such as grease, pesticides, oils, fertilizers and others before they flow into storm drains and then drain untreated into our waters. Residents can create a rain garden on their property and divert the stormwater from their roof, driveway, or sidewalk to this garden. Another benefit of doing so is to slow the flow of runoff and help prevent flooding, while also increasing the amount of water that seeps into the ground and recharges local groundwater.

Here’s a comprehensive booklet on rain gardens by Washington State University Pierce County Extension. And a brochure on rain gardens and how to build one.