Daffodils will bloom in Phoenix.
Spring in Phoenix begins in early January when the first daffodils start to bloom and hits full stride in early April. Spring flowers start to fade when the temperatures rise above 80 degrees F, which isn't unusual for mid- to late April. In May, temperatures hit 100 degrees on a regular basis and summer flowers take over. The process of planting spring flowers begins in October.
Instructions
Bulbs
1. Chill bulbs such as crocus, daffodils and tulips in the produce section of the refrigerator beginning in October. Those bulbs need chilling, or temperatures below 40 degrees F, for several months, which isn't common in Phoenix.
2. Plant daffodils in December in pots and containers. Plant them in the garden 4 inches deep and 2 inches apart. In most cases you won't get a second bloom the following years, so you don't have to leave room for the bulbs to naturalize.
3. Plant tulips and crocus beginning in January so they bloom by the end of February. The temperatures get too warm in March for those flowers to last more than a few days in bloom. Plant these bulbs in holes that are as deep as three times their height. For example, if the crocus bulb is 1/2-inch tall, then plant it 1 1/2 inches deep.
From Seed
4. Dig the ground to a depth of 12 inches, removing any caliche (hardened calcium carbonate). It's common in Phoenix desert soils. You'll recognize it because it looks like a dirty white rock. Occasionally it forms a vein. You'll need to break it up with a shovel or pickaxe to remove it.
5. Add a bucket of compost and a quarter bucket of gypsum for every two buckets of soil and work in well. The gypsum sweetens the alkaline soil and makes it more acidic. Most plants prefer soil that is more on the acid side.
6. Plant sweet peas and nasturtiums an inch deep where they will receive at least eight hours of sunlight a day. Start planting in late October and continue through the end of November. The seeds may be a little slower to germinate, so don't give up on them too soon and overplant.
7. Scatter small seeds such as larkspur, California poppies, Iceland poppies and most wildflowers over the ground and then cover with a 1/8-inch layer of topsoil.
8. Water after planting until the soil is wet to a depth of 6 inches. Use your finger to test the soil. Water thereafter when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. It usually rains in Phoenix in November and December; if it does you won't have to water.
Transplants
9. Prepare the ground as for seeds. Plant the flowers as deep as their nursery containers. For example, if the pansies are in a 4-inch pot, dig a 4-inch hole. Cover the root ball with a 1/4-inch layer of garden soil so it doesn't dry out.
10. Plant pansies, violas, candytuft, stock, calendula and snapdragons. Foxglove is available in 1-gallon containers, but don't expect it to live through to the next year. It's a biennial, and once it's blooming it will die at the end of the season.
11. Water after planting and when rainfall is less than 1 1/2 inches per week.
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