BRITAIN’S
Plant small bulbs . . . then sit back to watch the show
now-thriving motor industry has come a long way since the strikebound Seventies, when shop stewards such as Derek ‘Red Robbo’ Robinson led hundreds out on just a show of hands. Remember that as we note the death of former British Leyland boss Sir Michael Edwardes, who started the turnaround by taking tough decisions that safeguarded the industry.
Want a cheerful show next spring? Buy bulbs now. and besides tulips and daffodils, spare a thought for the smaller ones. Large flowered bulbs make a splash. But big tulips seldom multiply and are best replanted every year.
Daffodils repeat well, but leave an aftermath of unsightly foliage.
tiny bulbs can pack a punch. One crocus, planted now, will give a puny show in March. But, in time, each singleton becomes a cluster through bulb division. they also self-seed.
Other productive little bulbs include scillas, dwarf irises and Chionodoxa. Some need sun and others shade. Most will naturalise freely, developing colonies.
When browsing for bulbs, look for the little ones — even though they may seem tiny for the price. they deteriorate fast in packets, so plant quickly in pots, border fronts, rock gardens or gravel.
LITTLE CHARMERS
LITTLE bulbs are especially valuable in late winter. early crocuses such as Crocus
tommasinianus, C. sieberi and C. chrysanthus flower in February. Colours include mauveblue, purple, white and yellow.
Large Dutch crocuses include the white Jeanne d’arc, purple Flower Record, striped Pickwick and Golden Yellow Mammoth.
Plant snobs call these vulgar — i call them cheerful. Besides, early bees love them. Or try beardless winter irises, such as blue or purple I. reticulata, or pale-blue, spotted Katharine Hodgkin. Plant deeply to make them bulk up.
Snowdrops are perfect for naturalising under deciduous trees. Blend them with yellow winter aconites for gold and white carpets each February.
Similar conditions suit springblooming erythroniums. these have curled-back petals above broad, prettily marked foliage. Despite looking exotic and difficult, mine self- seed freely under trees.
the easiest to grow are yellow e. Pagoda and e. White Beauty. try avonbulbs.co.uk for specials such as these.
When choosing your bulbs, be mindful of their invasiveness. Grape hyacinths are delightful, but the most common, Muscari armeniacum, spreads ferociously.
White M. botryoides Album and the taller dark and light-blue
M.latifolium, on the other hand, spread less aggressively.
DAFFODIL DELIGHT
DAFFODILS are undeniably the most cheerful bulbs, but look beyond the impact of showy varieties and instead seek the simple beauty of wild narcissus and their many small hybrids.
Wordsworth’s inspiration was Narcissus lobularis, a native species with lemon ‘petals’ and yellow trumpets. the bulbs naturalise freely in grass or under trees and flowers open from late February.
For courtyard pots or a tiny garden, dwarf hybrid daffodils are enchanting.
Popular n. tete-a-tete carries up to three buttercup-yellow flowers on short stems. they work well with blue scillas or early forget-me-nots.
the most elegant little trumpet daffodils have swept-back petals, known as cyclamineus varieties, and look enchanting in pots or fronting a mixed border.
Colours vary from red-cupped, yellow- petalled Jetfire to primrose- and- white Swallow and creamy Dove Wings. Find cyclamineus daffs at jparkers.co.uk.
You can put off planting large bulbs until later in the autumn, but plant them soon after buying or they will dry out.
as with all bulbs, sink them deeply. aim for around 10cm of soil above the tops.