GET SWITCHED ON TO BULBS
As the nights draw in, it’s time to think about planting bulbs to create a riot of colour in springtime
LAST week we passed through the Autumn Equinox, that moment in the year when day and night are equal in length, after which the days will start to shorten. Nature responds in kind, with many plants starting to recede to prepare for a period of dormancy.
As hard as it is to say goodbye to the more opulently colourful time of the garden year, us gardeners welcome this as a productive and beautiful time. We look forward to the russets, golds and reds that will develop in the foliage of deciduous trees and shrubs while busily preparing the garden for spring.
And while enjoying the garden now and anticipating those seasonal hues we’re planning for next year’s displays.
One top autumn job is planting bulbs and it’s one I always enjoy, pushing those pockets of colour into a warm earth and dreaming of spring displays. Every year I can’t help but be surprised when I see the green shoots emerging, sometimes from a frozen soil.
Planning is key to success with bulbs and this year I took my own advice in spring and photographed the garden when the bulbs were flowering. Now I can see exactly where there are big gaps and this weekend I’ll get planting. In many cases I’ll be putting in more of the same reliable ones such as anemone blanda, crocuses and miniature daffodils. They’re all trouble free and the flowers delight every year.
I’m also going to introduce some muscari, the grape hyacinth, underneath the birch trees. It can be quite dry here but muscari should do the trick as they are tough and will slowly colonise. This is a small bulb and perfect for your windowsill boxes, alpine troughs or small pots as well.
Usually scented and in shades of pale to dark blue as well as pink and white, there’s a yellow variety ‘Golden Fragrance’ which has a delicious perfume. There’s also a new fancy one called ‘Plumosum’ which has feathery looking mauve flowers and is a little taller than most muscari. If you love growing plants for cut flowers, consider planting some ranunculus this year. These can go in the ground now or in spring – if it gets really cold where you are, you could grow them in pots in a cold greenhouse. They can be a little tricky and can rot in very wet weather. It may be useful to have an improvised cloche you can pop over them if the weather gets very wet or cold in winter. And in the spring, if there is a dry spell you will need to water them –they need consistent moisture.
Also, greenfly love them – so keep an eye out!
The corms are like claws – plant the finger sides down. The choice of colours is vast from ravishing pinks to hot reds, oranges and cool whites.
A source of interesting bulbs is farmergracy.co.uk, an exclusive supplier of an Italian breed of ranunculus called Elegance which has been genetically improved to offer better disease resistance and larger more productive blooms.
Striato Bianco has beautiful creamy petals edged with burgundy frills,
Viola is a rich velvety wine red variety and Bianco Sfumato is a florist’s dream of pastel creamy and soft pinks.
Soak bulbs for a couple of hours before planting. A few tips to remember – plant bulbs as soon as
you get them, with the exception of tulips which should be planted in November.
Generally you place them two to three times their own size deep in soil. Plant a bit deeper in free-draining soil
that tends to dry out in summer, and place them with their shoot facing upwards.
However, don’t worry if you can’t figure it out, the bulb will still grow towards the light.
When planting bulbs in pots, ensure your pot has drainage holes and add grit in compost to keep it free draining.
Leave the compost about five inches deep so bulbs have adequate depth to root into. Water in and if squirrels are a problem in your area, cover with a wire mesh until spring.
Now’s also a good time for bulb maintenance as well – this simply means digging up and dividing those bulbs that have become congested and replanting them.