[Columbia, SC] - Gardening enthusiasts will wilt over the bulbs at Riverbanks Botanical Garden's annual Fall Bulb Sale on November 5.

"November may not seem like a great month to be out in your garden, but when it comes to bulbs, the cold weather offers the perfect opportunity to plan for next spring's beds," said Melodie Scott-Leach, director of horticulture at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. "Picking out and planting bulbs in the fall months is the only way you'll reap the rewards in the spring."

All of Riverbanks Botanical Garden's bulbs are hand-selected by Riverbanks horticulturists, offering some unique choices gardeners won't find at the average nursery. Flower lovers should look out for the Narcissus Tahiti, an interesting and unusual daffodil with a starburst center. The species tulips, which are some of the few varieties of tulips that can be treated as perennials in South Carolina's warm climate, are enough to make green thumbs green with envy. Ordinarily, tulips need a longer cold period than our climate can provide to come back year after year, so Southern gardeners have long since treated the tulip as an annual flower.

Then there are always the old favorites. Riverbanks offers a huge variety of daffodils and annual tulips with plenty of yellows, pinks and purples to go around. According to Leach-Scott, "Color is the name of the game. Even a gardening novice can create a garden that shows off an entire palette of colors."

And the crinum lilies, which have long been Riverbanks' signature bulb, are back this year - just as durable and reliable as ever. "Crinums are really heirloom bulbs, or pass-along plants, because people love to divide them and share the bulbs among friends. Because they survive in so many different soils and even in periods of drought, they're great to give even to the blackest of thumbs," Scott-Leach said.

Gardeners should follow a few tips when planting bulbs. In warmer climates like South Carolina's, bulbs don't need to be planted until as late as December. The universal rule, however, is to make sure that they're planted before the first hard frost, usually once the nighttime temperatures are consistently 40° to 50°F. It's best to plant bulbs soon after they're brought home, but if they are stored, they should be kept somewhere dry and cool. Not all bulbs are right for all climates, which is why Riverbanks' Bulb Sale makes gardening so easy. Since all the bulbs have already performed well at Riverbanks Botanical Garden, it's guaranteed that they'll work in South Carolina's climate.

To get the biggest bang for your bulb buck, Scott-Leach recommends considering color, plant height and flowering time when making your bulb choices at the sale. Low-growing bulbs should be planted in front of taller flowers and gardeners should plan on planting bulbs in groups rather than individually as a cluster of flowers will give a garden more pizzazz. Consider planting bulbs in natural settings that might not be tended regularly, like beside a woodpile or in a meadow area. And think about timing and whether you want the entire bed to bloom at once or in cycles so that there's something to see all spring.

Riverbanks' Fall Bulb Sale is on Saturday, November 5 from 9:00am to 2:00pm though shoppers are encouraged to come early since many bulbs go fast. Advance orders can be placed through October 24 and can be picked up on the day of the sale or shipped for an additional charge of 10% of the total order. For a complete list of bulbs available and to place an order online, use our Fall Bulb Sale Order Form. Interested gardeners can also call 803.779.8717 for more info.