It's a good idea to check with a web site called daves garden before you order any plant material via mail order or web. If you google Brecks, the site that provides the ratings will come up somewhere near the top, something like 'get the straight scoop on ...'.

One of the problems Breck's has been criticized for on that site is that they ship at the wrong time. I suspect they ship when it's convenient for them, not when they think you should be ready to plant.

I don't mean to imply that I follow the ratings on that site exactly; some folks criticize vendors because of the price/size of very rare or hard to propagate plants, so I just ignore those ratings altogether.

I don't think I can include a link to the site, because of GW rules, so use google and see what you think. Meanwhile, good luck - it may turn out great for you!

Hi,

My crocus and daffodil bulbs arrived. I've never planted Fall bulbs before. It seems early and There are many squirrels busy gathering nuts. When are Fall bulbs usually planted in our area?

Thx

I'd go ahead and plant anything you have - if you feel you need to protect the newly planted bulbs from squirrels, that can certainly be done - no matter what time of year.

The longer the bulbs have in the soil before the ground freezes, the better. Maybe someone with more bulb expertise than I have will chime in with a different opinion, but I don't think it's ever really *too early* to plant these, once September rolls around, at least.

The fall weather in different parts New England varies so much that the end of the bulb planting season is different in different sections. Here on Cape Cod we can keep going until January, but the success rate drops as the season goes on.

I think the general rule is also that the earlier the bulb variety blooms, the earlier it should be planted - so snowdrops have less leeway at the end of the planting season, but even late blooming tulips can go in now, IMHO.