Fall seems to have come early this year and all our customers are telling us they aren't ready for it.  It feels like it just got nice and now it is all over.  I'm gonna say, Summer was like a bad boyfriend; arriving late, having a few short, warm, lovely, weeks of fun and then he left early and we were ditched, left with nothing but a cold fall shoulder to cry on.

And winter...Oh my gosh, winter is coming and there is not even the prospect of another Summer until JUNE.  How will we get through the dark, dank, wet, wild, windy winter?

Spring will come...and planting spring blooming bulbs is a great way to brighten your garden to welcome Spring.  Planting bulbs is one of the easiest forms of gardening.  In fact there is a huge North America-wide campaign called "Dig, Drop, Done" aimed at teaching the younger generation how easy bulb planting is and how simple it is to add beautiful flowers to your tubs and/or gardens.  Many of us already know the simple joy of planting Spring Bulbs.  

What I like is that you plant them in the fall, planning for a drift of daffodils here, and a splash of crocuses there, a colourful combination of tulips in the big pot by the front door and some more to look at from the kitchen window. 

Deer in the garden is about as hot a topic as it gets! While many gardeners still hold to the gentle nature of gardening; willing to give a bit for Bambi and a bit for ourselves, others have been pushed very close to the edge. I have to admit 'a bit for Bambi' should be only a light nibble before first light but when he or she is back for midnight snacks, every night doing the block, it gets pretty annoying.

For some gardeners it is the fact that Bambi never comes to visit you until your favourite rose is about to bloom, and the next morning you stand in disbelief staring at the gaping hoof prints and whatever sad, torn up canes remain. The odd, small bud left on the ground as the proverbial call sign, Uncle Buck was here! As if you needed any proof. This is usually when it gets ugly. Spouses rush off to work, after all, they've heard it all before and they know nothing can relieve your anguish.

This is when you need the ear of a fellow gardener. Only then will you be heard as a balanced nature lover whose only wish is for nature to fit into your overall garden plan and not the other way around.

How about a list of deer resistant bulbs to get you started. Most gardeners know that the deer generally leave daffodils alone but here are some other bulbs that are quite resistant to midnight raids.

Fall blooming bulbs are the tiny treasures of the autumn garden. As the days shorten and the shadows lengthen, the autumn crocus and colchicum make their début. As much as the spring crocus herald the coming of Spring and the end of winter, the autumn crocus announce fall is coming, time for warm sweaters and long walks, good books and homemade soup. It's time to gather your harvest in, and collect flowers to dry as airy keepsake of the glorious summer we've enjoyed.

These bulbs are planted in late summer to early fall with their blooming period to follow immediately afterwards. They should be planted with bonemeal to feed the bulb and encourage blooming in well drained soil. They look great tucked into rock gardens, around pavers and at path edges.

Tulips come in colours that range from pristine white through yellow, orange, pink, rose, red, green, blue, purple and even black. While that may sound shocking what is more amazing is how beautifully the green markings enhance the pink of varieties like 'Greenland' and how clean and fresh the green markings are on the otherwise pure white variety 'Spring Green'.

'Blue Amiable' and 'Blue Parrot' are two blue tulips with differing shapes that both look steely mauve-blue with other pink flowers and especially nice with a splash of white.

Being born on Valentines Day, I have always had a affinity with red, and red tulips never disappoint appearing at once vibrant and classic. Orange and yellow are colour trends that are gaining popularity currently. While these colours were once the shades left behind, now we notice that they are often chosen first.

Both orange and yellow look fabulous with purple and blue, which always takes us back to our school days and art classes where we learned how the opposite sides of the colour wheel are the complimentary colours.