How to Grow Spring-Flowering Bulbs
Get ready for spring It may seem a little early to be talking about spring, but now is the perfect time to start planning for your spring-flowering bulbs. Growing flowers from bulbs is a cheap way to fill your garden borders and pots with a colourful display.
When to plant your bulbs
Planting in autumn might sound strange, but this will allow the bulb to establish strong and healthy roots over winter. Allowing your bulbs time to get settled will encourage healthier growth in the springtime. How do I choose the bulbs?
There are bulbs for all situations, from naturalising in the grass to borders, pots and window boxes and even for indoors. Choosing bulbs is very much down to personal preference, and when you are looking for them to bloom.
Here are some of our favourite spring-flowering varieties:
Daffodils
A spring essential that should not be overlooked. They are easy to grow, reliable and make a splendid sight. An informal mixed display of daffodils looks particularly good naturalised in a verge or woodland setting.
Miniature Narcissi
More commonly known as miniature daffodils, these dainty flowers are also very appealing. Not only do they make wonderful gifts, but they look beautiful in garden pots and window containers.
Fritillaria
These have been popular for some years and rightly so. With a crown of flowers borne on tall stems, they are a great talking point for any flower bed and stand out from the crowd. The flowers literally ooze with nectar and make a splendid sight in any outdoor setting.
Crocus
For something unusual choose Crocus sativus. At first glance, it looks like another purple crocus with a quite open splay of petals. When you look more closely, you will spot pollen-laden anthers and the most wonderful orange style and stigma (female part of the flower that collects the pollen) that seem to fall out of the crocus flower like a ribbon.
Alliums
From the dwarf to the giant they are elegant, structural and very ‘now’. They are easy to grow, the flowers last for ages and afterwards, and the seed heads are also very attractive. A sophisticated choice for any garden.
Tulips
A classic symbol of springtime, tulips make a wonderful addition to any garden space. They absolutely love soaking up the sunshine, but they will tolerate some light shade. Grown in abundance, they can make the perfect resource for freshly cut flowers on the kitchen table.
Hyacinths
A beautiful sight in spring, Hyacinths produce large and enticingly fragrant blooms. Available in a multitude of colours, they are a playful way to add colour to your beds and borders. You can even grow them indoors on windowsills as a houseplant.
TOP TIPS
- When growing bulbs in pots, tubs or window boxes choose a container at least 30cm deep and plant the bulbs deeper than you would in the garden.
- Always make sure the container has drainage holes or the bulbs will get waterlogged.
- Daffodils can be grown in containers for many years. Tulips and Hyacinths are generally only good in a container the first year and should then be planted out in the garden.
- If you want to keep Daffodils in the container for the following year it is important to feed the bulb while the foliage is still green, as it will have used much of its food store.
- When buying bulbs look for a note on the packet which says they are grown from cultivated stock.
- Make sure that you plant the bulbs deep enough (the packet will indicate the planting depth). If not the result will be adequate in the first year but may be disappointing thereafter. This is a particular issue with tulips which require a planting depth of about 15cm.
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