What to plant now for spring
Daffs, hyacinths, tulips . . . there are so many to choose from, and now’s the time to pick yours
OVER the next few weeks, I will take delivery of a box of spring-flowering bulbs that I ordered from a nursery. Inside will be several bags containing everything I need to bring my garden to life before the main season starts.
Every year I like to buy some old favourites plus a few unfamiliar ones. New to me will be Gynandriris sisyrinchium, a dwarf iris lookalike, and Allium ‘ Graceful Beauty’, with white drumstick flowers flushed pink. k.
Many garden centres, res, nurseries and DIY IY stores have already y launched their range of loose and bagged bulbs. Expect to find daffodils, tu lips, alliu ms, grape hyacinths, hyacinths, fritillaries, crocuses, , anemones, winter acoconites and dwarf irises. es.
When buying bulbs, bulbs, reject any that are mouldy, ld damaged, shrivelled or feel squishy if you give them a gentle squeeze. Larger bulbs produce better flowers – you’ll have to take what’s available in shops, but select ‘top size’ bulbs if you are ordering from online specialists.
I think late summer is far too early for planting as the ground is simply too dry. Most bulbs fare best if set in soil between September and October, when the ground is warm yet moist after autumn rain.
Tulips are best left until November. Setting them in the ground later in the season reduces the risk of tulip fire, a fungal disease that causes plants to wither.
Spring bulbs are incredibly versatile – there are ones suitable for filling gaps in beds and borders, for growing in gravel gardens, ro rockeries, containers ers, or naturalising in law lawns. By picking varietie varieties carefully, it’s possible ibl to t have a succession of colour from late winter until at least the end of May.
Daffodils are the most popular, with more than 3,000 varieties in Britain. Ranging in height from 4in to 2ft, plants carry single or double flowers that feature a trumpet, surrounded by a cluster of outer petals. Most flowers are yellow or white, but some have red, orange or pink trumpets, creating a two-tone effect.
As a rule, bulbs need to be planted at a depth of two or three times their length. If your soil is on the heavy side, add some sharp grit to improve drainage.
A great way of displaying bulbs is to naturalise them in grass. It’s important to choose early-flowering varieties, as plants will need to be left to die back naturally before mowing can start. Among the most suitable are ‘Jack Snipe’ daffodils and snake’s head fritillary.
Compact forms are perfect in containers filled with multi-purpose compost or bulb fibre. After planting, outwit foraging squirrels by placing a sheet of chicken wire over the top, folding down the sides to keep it in place. Remove once shoots start to poke their way through the mesh.
For a long season of interest, try ‘lasagne planting’ in pots, setting several different bulbs in layers. Plant late-flowering tulips beneath mid-spring daffodils and finish with dwarf irises. The display will start with irises in February and finish in May when the tulips bloom.
Bulbs need little care. Get them off to a flying start in late winter by spreading fertiliser granules over the ground and remove dead blooms when they fade. Avoid knotting the leaves of daffodils together after flowering as this curbs photosynthesis, preventing plants from recharging for the next spring.
IT’S EASY TO HAVE A SPLASH OF COLOUR FROM WINTER TILL MAY