Bulbs in containers make unique display

For a unique and dramatic display in spring, plant bulbs in containers, with layers of bulbs of different kinds.

Water the bulbs well at planting and provide some supplemental water as needed during the remainder of fall. The bulbs will be forming roots during this time.

During the winter, keep the containers in an unheated garage, ideally an attached one. The bulbs need to be chilled but should not freeze solid. You may need to water the containers in late winter as temperatures begin to warm up.

Move the pots outside as the weather warms in spring and the bulbs will grow and flower. Be prepared to move them back inside if a hard freeze is predicted.

If you have planted tulips, which deer prefer, it is a good idea to cover the containers with netting when you have them outside.

Wait to cut back sculptural stalks and seed heads of perennials until early spring so that there will be some winter interest in the garden. Some perennials such as hosta will not look good after being frozen, so it is best to cut them back in fall. In general, cut back the plants that do not look good late in the fall and the remaining plants in early spring.

You may want to consider cutting more perennials back in the fall if you have had problems with voles. Voles are compact rodents with stocky bodies, short legs, and short tails and can be mistaken for mice. They do not hibernate and are active throughout the year, mostly at dawn and dusk.

Voles primarily eat the stems and leaves of various grasses, but they also consume other vegetation. The most serious damage they do is by eating the bark of trees and shrubs during the winter.

The most effective way to discourage voles is to reducing the cover the garden offers them, making them more vulnerable to predators such as hawks and owls. In general, removal of cover is very effective in preventing vole damage.

Gardens with low-lying evergreens, such as arborvitae, spreading yews, junipers and cranberry cotoneaster, provide shelter that encourages vole activity. Voles are most prolific when they have abundant amounts of vegetation and cover. The damage is likely to be more severe during extended cold spells with deep snow cover.

In areas where there is vole activity, eliminate weeds and dense ground cover around lawns. Mow lawns and other turf regularly. Cut back vegetation and pull back mulch from the bases of trees and shrubs as winter approaches so that voles cannot hide there, and keep the snow cleared away from the bases of young trees.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.