How to succeed with bulbs
I reckon that bulbs are the most rewarding plants to grow, not least as all the work has been done for you by the grower – inside that tough little package we call a bulb are compressed leaves, shoots, flowers and roots. All you need to do is plant them in decent soil and good light and they will romp away. In other words, add water and stand well back…well, almost.
Narcissi, daffodils (the name for narcissi with large trumpets), crocuses, dwarf irises, muscari (grape hyacinths), alliums and lots of other spring-flowering bulbs are best planted as soon as possible in autumn so their roots can establish rapidly. Tulips are happy to wait a little longer – you can plant them until November. Snowdrops are dodgy when planted in autumn if the bulbs have been allowed to dry out. Plant them ‘in the green’ just after flowering in spring when the foliage is still present; then you will reliably avoid desiccation.
If your bulbs fizzle out after a few years, it could be they were planted too shallowly, or that the competition from grass (if they’re growing in a lawn) is too fierce. Or you might have cut down the foliage too quickly after flowering.
Feed them with blood, fish and bonemeal at flowering time, which is when next year’s blooms are being formed within the bulb.
Above all, experiment with your bulbs and their colour schemes – they represent the best value for money of any plants in the garden.