Another good summer flowering bulb for cutting is the dahlia. Dahlias are available in the spring as either tuberous roots or seedlings. The tuberous roots of the dahlia are true roots. When trying to decide which way to plant the dahlia, the buds will be at one end and the roots at the other. Growing from one to five feet depending on variety, dahlias can add height to a marigold or petunia bed.
Most summer flowering bulbs prefer full sun to part shade.
Be sure to prepare your flower beds with good compost to break up the clay soil and to increase the drainage in the bed. These flowers are tender, so wait until the last frost and the night temperatures are near 50 before planting in the ground. As mentioned before, to get a jump start, plant the bulbs in pots and transplant when conditions are more favorable. With the exception of the true lilies, these bulbs are not winter hardy. This means that if you want to keep that gorgeous gladiolus for next year, you need to dig it up and store it over the winter.