Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
ALL ABOUT GROWING BULBS
Plant now and let your bulbs do all the hard work in winter.
WHEN
Bulbs like cool soil, so April is the ideal time to start planting them. However, in warmer coastal zones, leave your bulb planting until May, when the ground has cooled even more (you can plant bulbs up until the end of May). TIP Give cold-climate bulbs, such as tulips and hyacinths, a spell in the fridge for 5-6 weeks before planting. This false winter chill produces stronger plants and be er flowers.
ASPECT
Bulbs need plenty of sun to grow and flower, though most are quite happy with filtered shade during the a ernoon. A few varieties
– bluebells, snowflakes and daffodils – also do well under deciduous trees, where they can bloom before the shade from the emerging foliage becomes too dense.
SOIL
Bulbs grow well in any average garden soil, as long as it drains well. Avoid heavy wet clays, which can cause them to rot over winter. If your planting area is hard, fork it over well and dig through organic compost to improve the structure before planting.
11 rise to the occasion
Here’s a bonus – tulips and forget-me-nots planted under a tree produce spring blossoms. The lacy canopy means the tulips still get access to essential sunlight.
12 make your beds pop!
Each bulb of the anemone poppy produces several flowers that sit above the fern-like foliage. They’re early risers – and stayers – flowering from mid-winter to late spring. 13 Looking promising
First comes the foliage then, from the centre, the hyacinth flower buds gently emerge. In a week or so, you’ll have those big bundles of flower joy!