As you clean up your yard this fall, why not use this time to start something for spring. Most people like the cheery effect of bright spring flowers that pop up to greet them after the winter snows melt away. The spring bulbs and biennials like pansies are a hardy lot. They stretch up through the ground as soon as the weather mellows a bit. Never mind that it will likely snow yet again and mash them down. In the plant world, spring bulbs must be the eternal optimists. They pop up after that treatment and bounce away in the spring breezes pretty much as though nothing happened.

One way to hasten their appearance next spring is to plant spring bulbs in outdoor containers. Put those containers in key locations where you can see them out of your window on an otherwise gloomy day and they will cheer you up. Containers are a great way to put color where you want it and even to move it around if you choose. Container gardens are especially popular for those who live in smaller spaces like condominiums and apartments. Balconies can provide a garden spot where color can be splashed around the patio or deck. However, they are not limited to apartment patios or window boxes.

They are also well-adapted to other conditions. Garden containers can be hung from awnings and eaves or even on a stake in the middle of a flowerbed.

Many people like to plant a small pot of flowers of all the same type, but more spectacular results can come if you use a big pot with a variety of bulbs. This process can be much more colorful than the winter show in small pots that you might bring indoors.

Put two or three different sizes together in groupings, perhaps with an outdoor ornament and it gets even better. Containers come in a wide array of shapes, sizes and materials, such as steel, clay, ceramic, metal, cement. I've even seen clever plantings in pairs of shoes and boots. Put a pot in the center of a flowerbed to create a focal point for the entire spot.

Large outdoor pots will hold a variety of plants and if you do it right, they can bloom for several weeks during the season. Plan your container to include early-, mid- and late-season flowers to make the most of your personal flower show. Browse garden catalogues and garden centers for ideas.

Larger containers are easiest to care for because they hold enough soil to shield the bulbs during the winter months. Like any garden plant, soil is the essential starting place. Use potting soil, not ground soil, and make sure it is well-drained and high in organic matter. It is good to start with new soil every time you plant your containers. Recycle the old soil into your flowerbeds and till it in to improve the texture; your flowerbed plants will thank you for it. If you plan to use old soil, sift through it and remove all the old roots from previous plantings. Mix in half new potting soil with half of the existing brew to keep it from becoming "spent." The texture and nutrients of soil in pots decline as the plants grow and are watered again and again.

Put containers in a spot where they will stay cold. Sun shining directly on pots heats them and the soil inside. To properly grow and bloom, the bulbs need a long period of cold exposure before the warmth starts them to grow prematurely. You may have a very large pot that cannot be moved out of the sun. In this case, do the best you can. Try shielding the container with evergreen boughs or other materials if needed. Bulbs can start blooming late in February and early March.

Also, the soil may dry out during the winter months, so water as needed. Water once a week the first few weeks after planting then reduce the frequency as the weather gets colder. The rain and snow may take care of watering for you, but then again it may not. Do not overwater as the bulbs will rot in wet soil.

Try a mixture of bulbs for best results and plant violas and pansies or similar biennials on top of the soil. They will stay green and hold or possibly grow a little through the winter and the little pansy "faces" have been known to peer out from the snow during the winter weather.

Start with a plan. A color scheme is a good part of this. Then choose your bulbs and biennials. Choose early- or mid-season bulbs. By the time the late ones are ready to bloom, the rest of the garden will probably be in full color and you might want an early start on a summer container.

You will want a lot of bulbs. For example, a 12- to 14-inch container might have six tulips, five daffodils, three hyacinths, 20 to 40 little bulbs of three or four varieties, topped with a dozen or so pansies or violas.

If you want more than one kind of tulip, try using six of each color and probably five of each color of daffodils. Make sure the bloom times pretty much coincide for the most spectacular effect. You can plant some early and some later varieties, but be careful to mix them up so the whole pot will show off for the entire season.

Drainage is essential for any potted plant. If you don't have a drainage hole, try putting a couple inches of gravel in the bottom. If you have a good, deep container, you have the latitude to do a better job planting the pot. Fill the pot with soil to within about 8 inches of the top. Place the larger bulbs, pointed end up, on top of the soil at this level and pat it down. Plant the bulbs thick; they can touch in this sort of presentation. Put more soil over the tops of the bulbs about 2 inches and place the medium bulbs on top of this.

Place another layer of soil and then place the small bulbs on this layer. Mix them up for a delightful backdrop. Put about an inch of soil over the small bulbs and pat it down. Plant your biennials -- pansies, violas, wall flowers -- on top and fill in around them with more soil, pressing it in place to anchor the roots. Put slow release fertilizer on top to encourage good growth, and work it into the soil.

When you put the pot in place, put it on top of some bricks or pieces of weather-proof wood to keep it up where it can drain properly. This will help keep the pot from cracking during the winter. Because water is very heavy, wait to water the container thoroughly until after it is in place.

Next spring, after the blooms finish or when you remove them to replace them with summer flowers, try putting the entire clump of soil into a hole dug into your garden. The plants can die back naturally, better preserving the bulbs. The flowers will be in layers and will put out a return bloom next year. You do have the option of breaking the clump up and retrieving the bulbs and sorting them by size. It is difficult to sort by color in this manner, but they can be planted randomly for a mixed effect. Plant them in layers according to size, just as you did in the pot.

Next fall, plant fresh bulbs in the container, as they do not do as well for a second year when left in the pots. Enjoy the show next spring and go for a new mixture the year after. The possibilities are endless.