The following tips for forcing amaryllis to bloom early are from Hans Langeveld, co-owner of Longfield Gardens, a Lakewood company that sells amaryllis and other bulbs online at Longfield-Gardens.com.

www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com. Longfield Gardens longfield-gardens.com. Tulip bulbs can be planted until the ground freezes, but don’t push your luck: Put them in as soon as you have them.

Even though you buy bulbs now, don’t be too quick to plant them. Late October and into November are better times, perhaps finishing up around Thanksgiving. You want the bulbs planted at least ...

As for tulips, Old House Gardens has many oldies besides Duc van Tol Red and Yellow — including the violet-scented Florentine tulip (Tulipa sylvestris), a yellow flower dating to at least 1597.

For established bulbs, work a healthy dose of compost into the top 2 inches of the soil. Don’t use bone meal; it attracts animals that could dig up your plants.

Plus, bulbs need a period of cool temperature to flower. With bulbs, remember that more is more. They're relatively inexpensive, so buy as many as you have the room and energy to plant.

Chances are you haven’t seen many daffodils about town, but they’re here, blooming secretly in the gardens of some knowledgeable Central Florida gardeners. When winter draws to a close,… ...