Get a little crazy and plant bulbs any way you please

Gardening is full of unnecessary rules, and bulbs suffer more than most plants because of them.

Let’s be honest, in a time when we appreciate instant gratification, it can be difficult to work up the enthusiasm to plant things in fall that we won’t see any action from for many months.

And it’s even more difficult when we are handed a list of rules we’re told we must follow in order to be successful in growing these plants that remain elusive until a spring season we haven’t even begun to envision.

So I’m here to give you permission to take those bulb-planting rules and shove them.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some good practices to follow when bulb planting, but rest assured that when it comes to bulbs there is a lot of leeway.

Bulbs are incredibly adaptable. Because everything they need to grow, other than a bit of water, is contained in that neat little package, they usually figure out a way to flower.

The general rule for bulb planting depth is three times the height of the bulb. Put down that ruler because there’s no reason to get specific. Scientists at Cornell University have proven that bulbs have contractile roots that can pull the bulb down  deeper into the soil for better growing conditions.

And if you plant too deeply, well there’s a benefit there as well, as that can help insulate a bulb against harsh weather and protect it from critters with a propensity to digging.

Another rule you’ll often hear about bulbs is to make sure to plant them tip up and roots down, and while pointing a plant the right direction is always a good first step, with bulbs you don’t even need to worry too much about that. Bulbs are so programmed for blooming that even if they end up sideways or upside down, they flower.

I’m not suggesting that it’s a good idea to plant them the wrong direction —except in the case of bulbs with a divot in the top such as crown imperial fritillary (Fritillaria imperialis) where water can sit and rot the bulb — but rest assured that careful positioning isn’t required.

And then there are the spacing “requirements” for bulbs. Take one look at the famous bulb displays at the Netherlands’ Keukenhof botanical garden and you’ll know that you never need to worry about bulb spacing.

I embraced some rule breaking last weekend when I planted 2,000 bulbs of different varieties and sizes in a mass planting. I tossed — literally — all of them into holes that were about 2 to 3 inches deep with no regard for the direction they were facing and little attention to how many bulbs ended up in each hole.

My somewhat callous disregard for best practices made planting that many bulbs in half a day not only possible, but also palatable. I shudder to think how long that would have taken if I stressed over depth, spacing or direction.

So let this be a sign to get wild and crazy and plant some bulbs any way you please.