Beautiful Bulbs

Fresh Vision for the Fens

For the best results, bulbs for the spring favourites of daffodils and tulips need to be planted in the autumn. This will give them a good chance to grow roots and start to build up energy for making a great display next year. Beautiful Bulbs

Choose your daffodils carefully and you can have a display starting in late winter (from varieties such as ‘February Gold’) right through until midspring. If you are in a garden centre, flowering times will be clearly indicated on the pack. Sometimes this will be as numerals rather than actual dates – for example, February to March could be indicated as 2-3 or sometimes even II-III.

 Buying

Buying larger quantities of bulbs usually makes them significantly cheaper per bulb and there are always multi-pack offers to be found. If you’re looking to plant a large expanse, perhaps a bank or the area along the sides of the drive, go for daffodils by the sack rather than by the bag. Crocuses are available in a multitude of colours. However, the bargain priced mega-bags of these bulbs contain a lot of yellow and orange crocuses, which the sparrows love to shred. It’s better value to pay a little more for smaller singlecolour bags and avoid the yellows and oranges.

 Planting

There should be planting depths written on the packs of bulbs you buy or order, but if not it is generally better to plant too deep than too shallow; around three times the height of the bulb is ideal. Spring-flowering bulbs need little attention once established – just give them an occasional feed and, once the clumps become congested, divide and replant them to give each bulb more space to fulfil its potential.

 Best Bulbs

Try simple daffodils like ‘Carlton’, ‘King Alfred’ or English bluebells grown in random plantings, scattered and then planted where they fall, beneath trees in your garden. They’ll look great and often produce a really good display beneath the outer spread of trees, where it may otherwise be difficult to encourage much else to grow. Shrubs and even climbers can also be used for naturalised bulb plantings, but because they’re smaller grow the more diminutive bulbs such as miniature Narcissus ‘Tete a Tete’, ‘Hawera’, ‘Peeping Tom’, rich blue grape hyacinths or delicate Chinodoxa.

 Pots and Planters

Pots and other containers make great homes for bulbs. If you are particularly drawn to small or expensive flowers, pots mean you won’t lose those tiny spring bulb jewels amongst their larger relatives. Larger planters including tubs and window boxes are brilliant for bulbs too – try a host of golden daffodils in a smart blue pot, or some delicate dwarf iris or Iris reticulata in a window box or pot on the front steps, where you’ll be able to enjoy their good looks and their subtle perfume. Whichever type of spring bulb you have in mind, and wherever you intend to grow them, start planning and buying now so that they can be in the ground promptly.