How do I care for perennial bulbs in the autumn?
If the packaging that came with the bulbs you planted this past spring identified them as “perennial” bulbs, then you are fine. They will live through the winter deep under the ground, sleeping until next spring when they will be ready to bloom again. The bulbs will reproduce underground by multiplying and making more bulbs, and these smaller bulbs will grow each year and become big enough to add more blooms to your group of bulbs. However, if your bulbs were “tender perennial” bulbs, it will depend on where you live whether they will survive a really cold period during the winter. If you live in the southern half of the US you will probably be ok, but if you live in the Northern half of the US it might get too cold for “tender” bulbs. The types of bulbs that fall into the “tender perennial” category include dahlias, begonias, cannas and most tropical bulbs or tubers. Dahlias, begonias, and cannas are all tubers, not bulbs, but sometimes people think they are bulbs because they have a
