Why I Fell in Love with Bulbs (and Why I Think You Will Too)
- Laura Michalski
- Jul 17
- 5 min read
When we moved to Colorado, our yard was bare and dry. Not a single flower bed, tree, or shrub in sight. I knew that the lush gardens I planned for and dreamed of couldn't just appear overnight—it would take years to make. Standing in this empty yard, knowing that kind of beauty was still years away, felt quite defeating.
Later on, I decided that I wanted to try bulbs.
I needed those little wins to keep me going, without feeling like I needed to wait years for trees, shrubs, and perennials to grow. Bulbs bridged the gap between an empty yard and the garden I knew would one day exist. They gave me something to look forward to while the rest of the garden slowly caught up.
Looking back, I don't think I fell in love with bulbs because they're simply beautiful. I fell in love with what they gave me. Sometimes that little victory is nothing more than a handful of bulbs planted in the fall, quietly waiting beneath the soil, only to bloom six months later.
That's why I love offering bulbs each fall. I know what those little victories meant to me, and I hope they can do the same for someone else. Whether you're planting your very first garden or simply making room for a few more favorites, I hope these bulbs help bridge the gap between the garden you have today and the one you're dreaming of.
Starting with the wins
When I first started gardening in Colorado, I heard more about the challenges than the successes in gardening. Some examples being Colorados Hail, Dry air, Clay soil, and Late snowstorms. To me, it was easy to feel like success was something reserved only for experienced gardeners.
Even so, I don't think that's where the story should begin.
So in the end, what worked for me, were fall bulbs.
High summer has become one of my favorite times to plan. While the garden is still blooming, I'm already thinking about next spring. Every tulip and daffodil bulb I plant is a reminder that gardens are built one season at a time.
If you're feeling defeated because you didn't start sooner for this year's summer garden, I want to tell you something.
You haven't missed your chance.
In many ways, you're arriving at one of the most exciting parts of the gardening year. You have so much to dream about, plan, and plant. The garden you're hoping to enjoy next spring begins this fall, and a handful of bulbs can be the first step.
They won't give you a mature garden overnight. But they will give you something to work with while the rest catches up.
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Fall planting
One of my favorite things about gardening is that the work we do today often becomes the reward we enjoy months later.
By the time July rolls around, I'm already thinking about spring. While everyone else is admiring the flowers in bloom, I'm walking the garden noticing empty spaces, thinking about color combinations, and imagining where next year's tulips and daffodils will peek through.
If you're just getting started, here are a few things I'd encourage you to think about before planting season arrives.
Each season you're making your soil a little better than it was before.
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Walk your garden.
Summer is the best time to pay attention.
Notice where the morning sun hits. Watch where the afternoon heat lingers. Look for places that feel empty once spring bulbs have finished blooming. Those observations become your planting plan in the fall.
Build your soil.
Colorado clay gets a bad reputation, but I don't think it deserves quite as much hate as it gets.
Healthy soil isn't built overnight. Add compost when you can, improve drainage over time, and remember that every season you're making your soil a little better than it was before.
Planting bulbs taught me more than gardening skills. It gave me hope and a sense of belonging. Watching the first tulips push through the soil after a long winter felt like a personal victory. It was a reminder that growth takes time, but it’s worth the wait.
Not only that, but bulbs also helped me slow down and appreciate everyday moments. Instead of waiting for special occasions to enjoy flowers, I learned to cut a few stems on my way inside or arrange a bouquet while dinner cooked. These small acts brought beauty and calm to daily life.
My Unfiltered Mulch Soapbox
We garden in a high-altitude, dry climate. I mean...most of us have seven chapsticks rolling around a junk drawer, eyedrops in the car, and sunglasses on our heads because we know exactly what dry feels like.
So here's my analogy.
You wouldn't exfoliate your face, slap a serum on it, and then skip the moisturizer and SPF.
Yet that's exactly what we do in the garden.
We'll spend time digging in compost, adding amendments, and building healthy soil...then leave it completely exposed.
Mulch is your garden's moisturizer and SPF. It protects and holds all the hard work you just did.
Even bulbs, with all the energy and nutrients tucked safely inside, still appreciate a little protection. If we need chapstick, moisturizer, eyedrops, and sunglasses to make it through a Colorado day, I'd say those little bulbs deserve a blanket too.
For us, that blanket is leaves.
Every autumn we collect every leaf we can get our hands on. Our own, the neighbors'—they're usually happy to get rid of them anyway. We shred them, spread them over the beds, and let nature take it from there.
Leaf mulch holds moisture where you need it most, protects the soil from our intense Colorado sun, softens those wild freeze-thaw swings, and slowly becomes part of the soil itself.
Nature has been mulching forests long before gardeners started buying bags of bark. I figure she's probably onto something.
When It's Time to Plant
Once fall arrives and nighttime temperatures begin to cool, it's time.
Plant your bulbs about three times as deep as the bulb is tall, water them in well, and then let nature take over. Gardening teaches patience, and bulbs are some of the best teachers I know.
The Little Things Become the Big Things
Looking back, I don't think my garden was built because of one perfect weekend or one expensive project.
It was built because of hundreds of little decisions.
Planting bulbs in October.
Saving leaves instead of throwing them away.
Adding compost one wheelbarrow at a time.
Paying attention to what thrived and what didn't.
None of those moments felt life-changing on their own, but together they slowly became the garden I had imagined standing in that empty yard years ago.
That's what I hope for anyone planting bulbs this fall.
Not perfection.
Ready for Spring?
Every bulb you'll find in my shop is a variety I'd happily plant in my own garden. They're chosen because I genuinely love them and because I believe they can bring those same little victories to someone else's garden.
If you're dreaming about spring already...you're in good company.
I'd love to help you get started.
Looking Ahead with Blue Yarrow
Gardening is a journey, not a race. The bulbs I planted years ago are now part of a larger garden that feels like home. Blue Yarrow started with this simple idea: to create a life filled with beauty and slowness, not just for special occasions but for everyday moments.
I’m excited to share this journey with you, especially as I plan for next spring. Even in the heat of July, I’m flipping through bulb catalogs, saving seeds, and dreaming of the blooms to come. If you’re ready to start your own garden, consider planting fall bulbs. They might just bring you the same hope and joy they brought me.
Planting bulbs is more than gardening. It’s about planting hope, patience, and a future filled with beauty. Start small, plan ahead, and watch your garden—and your life—grow. If you want to bring spring into your home year after year, fall bulbs like daffodils and tulips are a perfect place to begin.
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