The Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation has opened its annual bulb sale, and gardeners have until Sept. 18 to place orders for spring-blooming bulbs that will be ready for pickup starting Oct. 17.
For anyone already thinking about a flower that blooms in fall planting season, the timing matters. The bulbs need to go into the ground in late September into October if they are going to color gardens next spring, which means the order window closes before many gardeners have even put summer tools away.
The sale features more than 50 unique bulb varieties, including rare and unusual tulips and daffodils, along with brodiaea, erythronium and fritillaria. The five top-selling bulbs from last year are back, and the rest of the lineup is new to this sale, giving buyers a wider mix than a simple repeat of familiar favorites.
Orders can be placed on the Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation website, which includes pictures and growing instructions to help buyers sort through the selection. The bulbs are being sourced through Van Engelen Flower, which has offered flower bulbs since 1845, and the sale supports the Master Gardener Foundation of Spokane County and the WSU Spokane County Master Gardener Program.
That support matters because the program does more than sell bulbs. It backs research-based gardening education and community programs across Spokane County, while the sale itself helps fund that work. The bulbs will be picked up at the WSU Spokane County Extension Office at 222 N. Havana St., giving buyers a set date and place to collect orders before planting time arrives.
The rush is part of the season's odd rhythm: gardeners are still in the dog days of summer, but the next step for spring color has already started. The bulbs will begin emerging as the snow melts and continue well into late May, which is why the foundation is asking buyers to act now rather than wait for cooler weather to make the decision for them.
