Lily the pink
There’s still time to plant bulbs for a splash of summer colour, writes David Overend.
Gardening encourages us to take a glimpse into the future. So, as the first spring bulbs bring a bit of welcome relief from winter, fast-forward to summer when bulbs can make an even greater impact. Some need to be planted in autumn but many more can go into the ground in spring so there’s still time to make a difference.
Let’s start with ornamental onions (Allium) that produce spectacular flower heads in May and June. They range in size from small drumsticks to the giant ‘Globemaster’ and come in various colours from white through to pink, lilac and purple.
They like a well-drained, decent soil and plenty of sun. Plant them in autumn.
Foxtail lilies (Eremurus) are also bulbs that need to go into the soil in autumn but some people have gardens where conditions also suit a spring planting. Eremurus grow from large tubers that do best in well-drained soil (waterlogging will rot the tubers) and a site where the six-foot-high stems with their wonderful flowers can make the most of any sunshine.
Gladioli are instantly recognisable with their great, glorious, colourful blooms. Buy the best corms you can afford and prepare their garden home well – they are greedy flowers and like plenty of well-rotted manure around their roots. Don’t choose a site prone to water logging. It needs to be moist but well draining and where the sun shines for most of the day is ideal.
Plant the corms five inches deep and at least six inches apart in late autumn or early spring.
Crocosmia is another plant that needs no introduction – it’s a tuberous plant and a native of South Africa. They like a well-drained, humus-rich soil in a sheltered sunny spot. To propagate, lift and divide every three years. Be warned – they can become invasive.
And then, of course, there are all those wonderful lilies, among them Lilium longiflorum, the variety so beloved of florists and, because they are not fully hardy, ideal for containers. The long, fragrant, white, trumpet-like blooms are at their best in mid-summer.
L tigrinum is a hardier beast whose spotted vivid orange flowers have made it a big favourite with the British gardener. It’s relatively easy to grow (plant the bulbs at least six inches deep in autumn or spring) in a rich, well-drained and lime-free soil.
And who can say no to Lilium martagon, the Turk’s cap lily?