5 bulbs to plant now for striking spring colour
Spring bulbs are easy to grow. All you need to do is simply dig a hole, pop them in and wait!
Good examples are daffodils and tulips.
These little flowers are time bombs, which are ready and waiting to explode with scent and colour just as you wake up from the ‘big sleep’.
Let’s delve into five fantastic bulbs that you can get planting for a delightful spring display.
Daffodils
Daffodils radiate sunshine even on the dullest day. They are happiest in full sun where bulbs ripen well. They perform stunningly year after year. In shade, they may only produce a sheath of leaves. Golden yellow Narcissus variety ‘Peeping Tom’ can grow to 30cm tall. They are firm favourite, with flowers that can last for weeks during a cool spring.
Daffodil bulbs should be planted by the end of September. Planting time for crocus and most other bulbs is October through to November. Whilst late flowering tulips will still come up even if they are left until December. For your best-ever spring garden, stagger planting times. You can also use different varieties to enjoy a succession of colour that will last the whole season.
Tulips
Tulips come in an incredible variety of colours, heights, and flower shapes. Some are even fragrant.
Ever popular is the almost black ‘Queen of Night’.
This flower produces exotic shimmering velvety, deep maroon-black blooms on strong sturdy 60cm stems, which makes it an excellent cut flower too.
Hyacinths
For something a bit different, try ‘Festival’ hyacinths. These are multi-stemmed varieties producing several airy plumes of flowers rather than a single dense flower spike.
You can also grow bulbs in pots to create mobile displays to move around the garden. And, if it’s fragrance you’re after, the rich scent of hyacinths is hard to beat.
Grow them in pots. To ensure their scent will not get blown away, group the pots in a sunny spot that is sheltered from strong winds. Wafting their sweet vanilla scent, hyacinths bloom during March an April.
If your soil is heavy and inclined to waterlog, work in plenty of grit or peat to reduce risk of the bulbs rotting. The Dutch cultivars can produce 60 to 70 florets, so splash your cash and buy the biggest bulbs! Popular varieties are ‘Delft Blue’ and ‘Pink Pearl’.
Alliums
Bulbs are perfect for when you need to be budget conscious.
They will create dazzling displays that pack a mighty punch, even on the veg, where they can be grown in rows for cut flowers.
Alliums, or ornamental onions, are shining stars of the garden in mid-May. They fit into every kind of planting. This can include wild meadows and cottage style flowerbeds to contemporary containers.
The purple drumstick heads of Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ are a must-have but be aware that they don’t like waterlogged soil and must have full sun.
Crocus
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