Here are two deer-resistant bulbs worth planting in your garden now

The second week of October is when you should mow and trim the lawn before winter sets in, making sure to remove large fallen leaves and to fertilize if you did not yet give the lawn an autumn feeding. A lawn fed in the fall will be better at blocking weeds in the spring.

And it continues to be bulb-planting here is more advice.

Best bulb for a playful punch: Allium

This member of the garlic/onion family is repels deer and mice but puts on a late-spring show of orb-shaped blooms. It is the tall (up to 3 feet) stems capped with large balls of bloom that make these June flowering bulbs so arresting in the early summer garden. (Arresting means to stop in the name of the boredom laws — this bulb is a party animal.)

Alliums are large bulbs and prefer a loose, almost sandy soil. My favorite allium, the Globemaster, has thick stems and globular flowers 8 to 10 inches wide. You also can find smaller varieties of alliums in shades of pink and white — but why not go big, be grand and arrest boredom with alliums?

DESIGNING WITH ALLIUMS

The foliage of this bulb is long and floppy so plant near perennials such as cranebill geraniums or peonies that will cover up the messy leaves. Be prepared to stake each stem, especially if you plan to spray paint the faded flower after it blooms. The dried seed heads of alliums are big and beautiful, and a shot of purple spray paint keeps them looking fresh for months. Warning: Using spray paint on dried blooms may upset the old-school garden design purist. It is your garden so do what you want.

Best bulb for late-winter color: Snowdrop or Galanthus

Peeking through the soil in January, these graceful white bloomers are avoided by deer and voles so they will spread in colonies over the years. Unlike most bulbs, they do prefer a moist soil so add leaf mold or compost at planting.

DESIGNING WITH SNOWDROPS

The dangling white blooms look like they are weeping so adding snowdrop bulbs beneath the canopy of weeping cherries or a grafted Japanese maple will echo the umbrella form of the tree. The early bloom time means this little bulb will be most appreciated when grown right outside a window where it can be seen without going outdoors on a cold winter day.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.