Flower Power : Spring Bulbs

 

 

 

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills

When all at once I saw a crowd

A host, of golden Daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

 

 

Yes, quite.

 

And what could possibly have more flower power than the impact of swathes of yellow Daffs or the welcome sight of the first Snowdrops, Bluebells, or Tulips to herald a fresh new spring and remind us that as the dark winter gloom drifts off another summer looms just beyond the horizon.  

 

There are lots of varieties of spring flowers available in the shops now in the form of bulbs.  And bulbs are so easy to manage, virtually fool-proof and bang on reliable.  Just pop them in exactly where you want them and six months later "Hellooooo" they pop up full of dazzling colour.

 

There are so many reasons to get busy with bulbs right now.  If you've recently moved though and have a new and undiscovered garden it's always a good idea to leave making your additions for one season while you discover what's already in situ - you maybe pleasantly surprised.  If on the other hand you have a few gaps that need livening up then now's the time to enrich your life with some fuss free great value spring bulbs.

 

They really are fuss free and will give you years of service with only two hard and fast rules you need to adhere to for prolonging their lives and maintaining flowering into successive seasons.

 

 After flowering, always allow the foliage to die back naturally and yellow before cutting away.  They can start to develop a shabby appearance and you don't want them cluttering up your borders if you want to get on with planting up your summer bedding but you'll have to be patient as the leaf material is necessary to rejuvenate life back into the bulb for future flowering.

 

 

 And secondly, and what many people forget is that the bulbs do require moisture throughout the summer.  So even though they're out of sight, don't let them be out of mind as if they get too dry then this will inhibit the flowering performance for the following season so even though the foliage will appear above ground flowers will fail to develop. 

 

What to choose? 

 

Of course there are all the usual suspects in the form of daffodils, tulips and the humble but compelling little crocus but you might like to consider the broader spectrum and think about branching out a bit with maybe some Camassias, these will go along happily for many years. 

 

 

 

 

 

Or maybe the slightly less dependable but hugely dramatic Fritillaria Imperialis.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also look out for new varieties of established favourites such as these red Dutch Irises new for 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or vivid and dramatic shades of familiar regulars which you may not have tried before; like these exotic near black Tulips.  

 

 

Don't forget Alliums; you may already have some, and they are long lasting so will serve you for many years, but they now come in a range of sizes, shapes and colours from mini 'drumsticks' to those giant globes so beloved of the premier designers - so check what's available to keep on-trend and ensure you have your own show to be proud of.   

 

 

 

Couldn't resist having a bit of a splurge - tried not to go too crazy, but since when did that ever work out? 

 

Keep an eye on whatever you buy to maintain them in tip top condition.  As a lot of the summer flowering bulbs, corms and tubers that we bought earlier in the year were delayed in planting up as the beds just couldn't be got ready any sooner.  As a result, the root matter remained inside its packaging much too long and was exposed to extreme variations between daytime and night-time temperatures.  Causing many to suffer deterioration with some even becoming mildewed before they were finally planted up. 

 

 

 

Nevertheless, we were surprised at just how well many of these damaged bulbs, the lilies in particular, overcame that and still performed brilliantly, although they, plus the dahlias and the begonias all got off to a very slow start.  Which really does just go to show that you never can tell with gardening as you'd never expect a partially rotted bulb to produce such a spectacular display.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So it's as well to remember to get everything into the ground or your containers immediately you get them home - especially as you'll have no idea how long they've already been on the shelf or in transit.  Over here at the USG-Plot we've dug another bed to accommodate the bulbs.  This is so that the foliage can die back in its own time and not inhibit any perennials as they appear and need maximum light to get off to a healthy start.  

 

 

First, place them around before digging a hole for them to ensure even distribution just as we did with the bulbs we first planted way back in May.  Also always check the planting depth as recommended on the pack.

 

 

 

The best value we've spotted this year are these netted Daffs from both Tesco & ASDA in packs of 40 or 50 for £2.50-£3.  That could just be the best value you get for £3 this autumn.