The Canna and Ginger that I grow don't really have what you would call bulbs. They have rhizomes and those rhizomes can easily be dug up. They basically "run" almost on the surface of the soil. That is also how they propagate, unless you want to grow from seed. I divide my rhizomes every spring when the stems just start to emerge. Keep in mind, both canna and ginger have really strong rhizomes, and they will grow over even well-established landscape plants (on the surface of the soil). Thus, if you have something like azaleas, ilex, loropetalum, , nandina, etc., and then plant the canna or ginger, the following year you'll have those canna/ginger coming up among those other landscape plants. This doesn't seem to bother any of the other plants, but it might bother you. I keep my plants under control by building 1x6", treated-wood boxes. Some boxes will be as small as 2'x4' and some as large as 4'x6'. I don't even have to bury the boxes, since the rhizomes don't seem to tunnel beneath them at all. My canna have small, fire engine-red flowers and equally bright seed pods and the ginger have pure-white, very fragrant flowers. I love mine growing together, with the red/white contrasting colors. These plants do get tall, up to 7' in the landscape and 5' in pots, so I use them at the back of my landscape areas, with smaller/shorter plants in front.
