If you thought starting plants indoors worked for seed alone, think again. You can give your summer bulbs a good start by planting them inside in a pot four to six weeks before the last frost and transplanting them outdoors when weather permits.

Tuberous begonias, callas and caladiums will especially benefit from this and they can be left in the pot outside too. Plant them in a good medium with peat moss and perlite in a warm and bright spot but not direct sunlight and keep them well watered until it's time to move them outdoors.

It is very important when planting bulbs to respect the recommended planting depth, most bulbs don't perform because they are planted too deep. The ones that should be planted 6 to 8 inches below ground are the common lily, the daffodils, the irises and the tulips, everything else should be much closer to the surface, no more than 3 inches. Some bulbs benefit from having the tops almost exposed, even though that makes them rabbit lunch.

One thing about bulbs, one tends to plant them and forget them, so it is best to plan them into your overall garden plan and overlay them with late summer perennials so you don't accidentally dig them up when you make room for new flowers.

Author's Bio: 

Main Areas: Garden Writing; Sustainable Gardening; Homegrown Harvest
Published Books: “Terra Two”; “Generations”, "Letters to Lelia"
Career Focus: Author; Consummate Gardener;
Affiliation: All Year Garden; The Weekly Gardener; Francis Rosenfeld's Blog

I started blogging in 2010, to share the joy of growing all things green and the beauty of the garden through the seasons. Two garden blogs were born: allyeargarden.com and theweeklygardener.com, a periodical that followed it one year later. I wanted to assemble an informal compendium of the things I learned from my grandfather, wonderful books, educational websites, and my own experience, in the hope that other people might use it in their own gardening practice.