IT’s bulb time again – that magical moment where you get to imagine the heady heights you’ll achieve in your garden come Spring.
With dreamy visions of swaying Dutch style fields of tulips, daffodils, crocus and alliums wafting in the balmy breeze it’s easy to get carried away with what you can achieve or afford.
But whether you’re the kind of gardener who’s happy to play the bulb lottery and wait and see which ones return – or you take them all out to overwinter and plan breathtaking displays of coordinated colour – we’ve got you covered.
The beauty of a bulb, is that essentially anyone can plant them. Whether you’ve got sweeping borders to fill, or a single pot outside your front door – with a bit of careful planning you can see colour for months.
Lucy Bellamy, who’s new book ‘A Year in Bloom’ is out on October 10, said: “I love bulbs, I like them for their optimism, their resilience and for their transient beauty.”
Her book contains 150 flowering bulbs for every season – so here’s my pick of the more unusual types to plant now (except the Tulip – wait until November for them).
Allium Mont Blanc – plant 20cm deep, in a site where the flowers are in sun when they open. Space widely
Fritillaria imperialis – plant bulbs 30cm deep in early Autumn, with grit or leaf mould around each one – plant them on their side – so water doesn’t accumulate in their stem holes
Iris ‘Scent Sational’ – plant corms 10cmm deep late summer to early autumn in a gritty compost
Lilleum ‘African Queen’ – plant early Autumn 15cm deep, in well drained soil.
Keep your bulbs healthy with these top tips
David Mitchell, Buying Manager for Garden and Seasonal at Homebase, said: “First, I’d find a good spot in your garden which gets some sun and see if you can get a spade into the soil easily before you start planting. Work with the ground space you’ve got but avoid planting your bulbs directly under trees or close to buildings.
“Next, get your depth right. The planting depth for each bulb will be stated on your box but somewhere between a full spade depth and halfway will be about right for most. Too deep is better than too shallow! I tend to sink in a spade, waggle it back and forwards a few times to create a slit and plant in there.
“There are no strict rules when it comes to planting your spring bulbs. You could definitely have some fun and dot them around randomly for a good mix. I’d plant bulbs of the same type together in small clumps, with smaller ones at the front and taller ones towards the back of the border. You could even take a handful and drop them into the soil, to let them scatter and create a natural little clump.
“The orientation of your bulb is not too important. Although I’d suggest planting the ‘pointy end up’, you could plant them upside down or on their sides and they will find the right way up.
“When the bulbs are planted, pat down the soil firmly on top and water in. Then, wait until spring for an array of beautiful blooms!”
Homebase are offering a “100 Days of Spring” Collection consisting of 100 bulbs, that flower from March through to June, creating a vibrant display of blooms for only £12!
Tulipa ‘Black Parrot’ – Plant in late Autumn, 20cm deep, well drained soil. Currently Farmer Gracys have them at 59p if you buy 10.
Narcissus ‘Bulbocodium’ – plant 8cm deep, 3 per 15cm in pots in autumn, flowers in late Winter,
Cyclamen Hederafolium – plant tubers 5cm deep in early to mid Autumn in borders, gravel, grass.
Erythronium ‘Joanna’ – plant bulbs with pointed end upwards, 10-15cm deep, flowers in early to mid Spring.
Ornithogalum ponticom ‘Sochi’ Plant 6 bulbs to a 20cm, 15cm deep in gritty compost. Flowers in early summer.
Lilium regale – From early Autumn plant 3 bulbs per pto, 20cm deep in gritty loam based mix.
A Year in Bloom: Flowering Bulbs for Every Season; by Lucy Bellamy, with photographs by Jason Ingram; is published by Phaidon, £29.95
Giant veg at the Malvern show, top tips and a leaf blower competition
NEWS! IT was the Malvern show at the weekend – and one of the highlights is always the Canna UK Giant Vegetables Championship. This year no less than 13 Guinness World Records were awarded – for veg. These included a 45cm broad bean, a 492cm turnip, the heaviest red cabbage at 33kg, the tallest cucumber plant, at 649.7cm, the longest radish, at 741cm and the heaviest sunflower head, at 7.46kg. Ian Paton, 63, who grows giant pumpkins with his brother Stuart, took home the prize for heaviest pumpkin – weighing in at an astonishing 1198.200 kg.
SAVE!! GET those bulbs in the ground with Burgon and Ball’s £20.99 Hand Held Bulb Planter – or just pay £5.50 for B&Q”s Comfort Bulb Planter.
WIN! Those leaves won’t clear up themselves. So one lucky winner can get their hands on this £89 Stiga Cordless leaf blower BL100e with battery plus a pair of cordless Pruning shears worth £129. For more details visit www.thesun.co.uk/AUTSTIGA or fill in THIS FORM. Or write to Sun Autumn Stiga Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 19.10.24 T&Cs apply.
THIS WEEK’S JOB Cut fruited stems of autumn raspberries right down to the ground, plant lovely skimmia and cyclamen, bring in houseplants you might have given a holiday outside in the summer.
TOP TIP Don’t cut down all the tall flowers in your garden like Sedum, Rudbeckia and Verbena Bonariensis – they look great covered in frosty cobwebs and add a bit of interest to your garden.
