October is the time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. And if you've never planted anything in your life, bulbs are great because they are fairly foolproof and reliable year after year if you follow a few basic steps.

The many new mini bulbs available now are ideal for small planting areas and naturalized looks, says Diane Relf, horticulturist with Virginia Tech. You also find good selections of miniature iris rhizomes now on the market. Dwarf bulbs are good for rock gardens, at the edge of a terrace, in front of a shrub border and in natural-look plantings in lawns and wooded areas or along roadways and driveways.

Miniature daffodils and crocus look especially nice worked into low-growing, evergreen ground covers.

Bulbs also are an easy way to get a jump-start on your container gardening for next year. Bulbs traditionally have been grouped or spread around in flower beds or arranged in borders, but a tub of tulips or a half barrel filled with a bouquet of various bulbs looks great sitting on a deck or patio. The planting principles are basically the same as in-ground cultivation. Just put your bulb-laden containers in a place sheltered from the wind so there's no risk of bulb burn during the winter or use a layer of horticultural foam lining the inside of the container. Mulch on top also helps.

In the garden, bulbs such as tulips and daffodils should be planted 3 to 4 inches apart, or four to five bulbs per square foot. Smaller bulbs can be planted closer together.

Bulbs should be planted deep - 6 to 8 inches for daffodils and 8 to 10 inches for tulips - and fertilized every fall. The miniature daffodils need to be planted more shallow, 4 to 6 inches deep.

``The general rule is to plant to a depth that is three to four times the height of the bulb,'' says Brent Heath, a third-generation bulb grower and manager of the Daffodil Mart in Gloucester. ``The depth keeps the bulb from splitting too soon.''

Deep planting and annual fertilization with a bulb booster also will prompt your bulbs to return year after year. Bulbs need full sun, and they can be layered in the ground or in containers. For instance, plant tulips 8 inches deep, then plant the smaller crocus bulbs above them; the crocus will bloom early, then the tulips will provide color.

And don't forget to water your bulbs in the spring. You need to water them because after they bloom they manufacture the starches that will give you flowers the next year.

BULB BASICS

Buy large bulbs that are plump and firm. Bigger bulbs generally produce bigger plants and flowers, according to a rating of bulb suppliers published in the September issue of Consumer Reports.

Most bulbs need full sun, so plant in a site that gets at least five to six hours of direct sun a day.

A bulb contains everything a plant needs to grow and flower the first year; just make sure the bulbs get good waterings. Never put fertilizer in the holes when planting because some may burn bulbs' tender roots. Feed each fall with a bulb booster, organic compost or 5-10-10 by sprinkling it on top of the soil.

In the winter, mulch your bulbs with 2-4 inches of organic material, such as finely ground leaves or pine bark.

Good drainage is important or bulbs may rot. Heavy clay soils can be lightened with sand, decomposed compost, peat moss, pine bark or gypsum. Raised flower beds are a good solution to heavy soils. Well-composted organic matter creates the very best soil texture with nutrient, and water-holding ability for plants and bulbs. If you can't make your own, there are plenty of ready-made organic composts on the market, including Nutri-Green, which is a by-product of waste water processed by Hampton Roads Sanitation District.

Water in the spring if you do not get sufficient rain, a half-inch per week, usually. Water in the fall ensures good root growth before freezing weather sets in.

Plant bulbs in clusters - not scattered plantings - to make bold, eye-catching statements.

Foliage can be cut once it yellows because it is no longer feeding the bulb. Do not tie in bunches or knots because it will cut off sunlight and air, cut down on flower production and cause you to have to dig and separate the bulbs more often. Plant other perennials or annuals around the bulbs to hide the yellowing foliage.

DAFFODIL MART

The Daffodil Mart in Gloucester is a sister company to White Flower Farm and Shepherd's Garden Seeds; all share a shipping warehouse in Torrington, Conn. Call (800) ALL-BULB. Extensive listing of hundreds of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and more. Catalog free. The 144-page book ``Daffodils for American Gardens'' with 300 color pictures, written by Brent and Becky Heath of the Daffodil Mart, can be purchased for $25.

The Gloucester site has trial and display gardens of bulbs, perennials and other plant material; tours are given mid-March to mid-April. Call 693-3966.

PEST PREVENTERS

If you have trouble with voles or squirrels eating your bulbs, try some of these solutions:

Lay wire mesh such as chicken wire on top of the bed. The squirrels can't dig through the mesh and the flowers will grow up through the holes

Try planting bulbs in 2-liter bottles. Cut good drainage holes in the bottom, cut off the bottle's neck and nestle a bulb in good potting soil in each bottle. This method also makes it easy to lift and move your bulbs when you want to, say gardeners who use this technique.

Scoot Squirrel, a new product by Pest Solutions, is made with hot red pepper and castor oil as a sticking agent to deter squirrels from eating bulbs. It also can be sprayed on bird seed to keep squirrels out of the feeder. Available at True Value and Ace hardware stores, or call (616) 243-9210.

BULBS TO TRY

Daffodils:

Baby Moon - a dark yellow mini daffodil that grows 6 to 12 inches tall, it's a late bloomer, showing its color sometime within the first three weeks of April, depending on the spring weather. It has three to five flowers per stem and is among the most fragrant daffodils.

Hawera - named for a town in New Zealand where it's bred, this mini daffodil is a pale yellow with three to five blooms per stem. It has a light fragrance.

Tete a Tete - Nice miniature yellow daffodil.

King Alfred, or Dutch Master - A tried-and-true tall yellow daffodil with large trumpets.

Ice Follies - extra large, out-facing flowers of creamy white, with bright yellow, big flat cup maturing to creamy white. One of best perennials.

Tulips:

Tulips are usually popular with people if they grow the ones that come back well each year, says Brent Heath of the Daffodil Mart in Gloucester. The Darwin hybrids and Emperor varieties are good returnees.

Lilac Wonder - dwarf tulip with lilac blooms and bright-yellow centers.

Fusilier - dwarf tulip in a bright red with several flowers per stem.

Water lily tulips, or Kaufmanniana - dwarf species that produces flowers about two weeks before other tulips and looks good in front of standard-size daffodils.

Ivory Floradale - A creamy white Darwin, it grows 18 to 24 inches tall and has long-lasting blooms. Heath says his Ivory Floradales have returned year after year for 10 years because he plants deep and fertilizes annually.

Parade, a red, and Pink Impression, a pink of course, are two other reliable Darwin hybrids.

White Emperor and Solva, a reddish-pink, are two other hearty tulips to enjoy.

Alliums:

Giant onion or ornamental onion, Allium giganteum - For about three weeks in June, it offers large, deep lilac flower balls about 4-5 inches in diameter. Plant bulb six inches deep in well-drained area with full sun. Place each bulb 12-18 inches apart, fertilize when leaves first emerge; it needs no staking and has no pest problems.

Other bulbs:

Hardy anemones - These are among the first to bloom in the spring. Daisy-like flowers in shades of blue, red, pink and white, varying in height from 6 to 12 inches.

Snowdrops - The dainty bells of pale ivory are among the first bulbs to appear after winter.

Forest hyacinth - Produces small blue spikes about 8 inches tall and blooms early with crocus.

Wood hyacinth or Spanish bluebell - blooms along with Darwin tulips.

Muscari, grape hyacinth - an old favorite that blooms as crocus fade.

Fritillaria - It's easily recognizable by its hanging bells of flowers.

BULB COLORS TO CONSIDER

Here are some color guidelines for your plantings:

Blues and yellows: Select one as principal color and use the other as an accent.

Reds and yellows: Plant a mass of mid-season, tall, red tulips; add clumps of yellow daffodils at the edges for highlights.

Whites and ivories: The white-on-white, white with off-white, ivory and white are well suited for small gardens or sections of large beds. They especially look nice against a brick or stone wall or along the front walk of a Colonial-style house. Group flowers by size, planting clusters of taller flowers among shorter ones. Group white hyacinths with pure-white daffodils, then add clumps of white tulips.

Oranges and pinks: Apricot and coral flowers go with old-rose shades or pink and mauve. And they contrast well with white, ivory and yellow.

Purples and yellows: These two shades shake up a colorless corner and look good in country-style or formal landscapes. For a wildflower look, plant patches of purple and yellow crocuses throughout your lawn; they will bloom and the foliage can be cut usually with the first lawn mowing in the spring.