Time to plan next spring's bulbs

It's time to plan for spring-flowering bulbs so you can order them for planting in October.

Bulbs should be planted where the soil is well drained. Any area in the garden that often stays wet or ever has standing water is unsuitable for bulbs. They prefer to have moisture in spring and fall and to bake in dry soil in the summer.

Most bulbs prefer full sun. Some early-blooming bulbs may still flower when planted beneath a high-branching tree, because they will finish blooming before the tree leafs out. Although bulbs need sun after flowering to store energy for blooming the following year, the nearly bare branches of a tree in spring cast only light shade, which bulbs such as Siberian squill and early daffodils can tolerate.

If your garden has issues with rabbits, chipmunks or deer, avoid crocuses and tulips, which tend to be eaten first. Daffodils, ornamental onions, Siberian squill, snowdrops and winter aconite are less attractive to animals and are recommended for areas where wildlife browses.

The gladiolus produces a large, showy flower spike that lasts for several days in summer whether in the garden or in a vase. To get the most out of a bloom for a vase, cut it when the lowest blossoms have begun to show color. Place the cut stem in water as quickly as you can. It's best to cut the flower stems early in the morning before the heat of the day sets in and get them in water quickly.

Stagger the planting of gladiolus corms in late spring to provide flowers over a longer period of time.

Don't forget to check the oil and clean out the air filter on your lawn mower regularly. The engine can be ruined by letting it run out of oil. The dust raised when mowing can clog up the air filter, which will impair performance of the engine.

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