Garden guru shares ‘beautiful’ 59p hack to fill your garden with colour
It’s flower bulb season again: that magical moment when you can imagine the heights you will reach in your garden in the spring.
With dreamy visions of swaying Dutch-style fields with tulips, daffodils, crocus and alliums waving in the balmy breeze, it’s easy to get carried away with what you can achieve or afford.
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But whether you’re the kind of gardener who likes to play the bulb lottery and wait to see which one comes back – or you take them all over for the winter and plant breathtaking displays of coordinating colors – we’ve got you covered.
The great thing about bulbs is that almost anyone can plant them. Whether you have large borders to fill, or a single pot near your front door, with a little careful planning you can see color for months.
Lucy Bellamy, whose new book ‘A Year in Bloom’ is released on October 10, said: “I love flower bulbs, I like them for their optimism, their resilience and for their ephemeral beauty.”
Her book contains 150 flowering bulbs for every season – so here’s my pick of the more unusual varieties to plant now (except the tulip – wait until November for that).
BEST FOR POLLINATORS
Allium Mont Blanc – plant 20 cm deep, in a place where the flowers are in the sun when they open. Space wide
Fritillaria imperialis – plant the bulbs in early autumn 30 cm deep, with grit or leaf mold around them – plant them on their side – so that water does not accumulate in the stem holes
BEST FOR ODOR
Iris ‘Scent Sational’ – plant the tubers 10 cm deep in late summer to early autumn in a sandy compost
Lilleum ‘African Queen’ – plant 15 cm deep in early autumn, in well-drained soil.
The best tips for home base lamp buyers
Keep your bulbs healthy with these top tips
David Mitchell, purchasing manager for garden and seasonal products at Homebase, says: “Before you plant, I would first find a good spot in your garden where the sun can come and see if you can easily get a shovel into the ground. Work with the soil area you have, but don’t plant your bulbs directly under trees or close to buildings.
“Then ensure the correct depth. The planting depth for each bulb is listed on your box, but somewhere between full shovel depth and half way will be about right for most people. Too deep is better than too shallow! I tend to sink into a shovel, wiggle it back and forth a few times to create a crevice and plant in it.
“There are no strict rules when it comes to planting your spring bulbs. You can certainly have some fun and scatter them around randomly for a good mix. I planted bulbs of the same type together in small clumps, with smaller ones at the front and larger ones at the back of the border. You can even take a handful and drop them into the ground so they spread and form a natural little clump.
“The direction of your lamp is not that important. Although I would recommend planting the ‘pointy ends’ upwards, you can also plant them upside down or on their sides and they will find their way upwards.
“When the bulbs are planted, pat the soil firmly and water. Then wait until spring for a whole range of beautiful flowers!”
Homebase is offering a “100 Days of Spring” collection, consisting of 100 bulbs, which bloom from March to June, creating a vibrant bloom for just £12!
BEST FOR CONTAINERS
Tulip ‘Black Parrot’ – Plant in late autumn, 20 cm deep, well-drained soil. Currently, Farmer Gracys has them for 59 cents if you buy 10.
Daffodil ‘Bulbocodium’ – plant 8 cm deep, 3 per 15 cm in pots in autumn, blooms in late winter,
BEST FOR SHADOW AREAS
Cyclamen Hederafolium – plant the tubers 5 cm deep in early to mid autumn in borders, gravel, grass.
Erythronium ‘Joanna’ – plant bulbs with the pointed end upwards, 10-15 cm deep, blooms in early to mid spring.
BEST FOR CUT FLOWERS
Ornithogalum ponticom ‘Sochi’ Plant 6 bulbs at a depth of 20 cm and 15 cm in sandy compost. Flowers in early summer.
Lilium regale – Plant 3 bulbs per pto from early autumn, 20 cm deep in a sandy loam mix.
A year in bloom: blooming flower bulbs for every season; by Lucy Bellamy, with photographs by Jason Ingram; is published by Phaidon, £29.95
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IN VERONICA’S COLUMN THIS WEEK
Giant vegetables at the Malvern show, top tips and a leaf blowing competition
NEWS! IT was the Malvern Show on weekends – and one of the highlights is always the Canna UK Giant Vegetable Championship. This year no fewer than 13 Guinness World Records were awarded – for vegetables. These include a broad bean at 45cm, a turnip at 492cm, the heaviest red cabbage at 33kg, the tallest cucumber plant at 649.7cm, the longest radish at 741cm and the heaviest sunflower head at 7.46kg. Ian Paton, 63, who grows giant pumpkins with his brother Stuart, took home the prize for the heaviest pumpkin, weighing a whopping 1198,200kg.
TO RESCUE!! GET those bulbs in the ground Burgon and Ball’s £20.99 portable bulb planter – or just pay £5.50 for the Comfort Bulb Planter from B&Q.
WIN! Those leaves don’t clean up on their own. So one lucky winner can get their hands on this £89 Stiga Battery leaf blower BL100e with battery plus a few Cordless Pruning Shears worth £129. For more information visit www.thesun.co.uk/AUTSTIGA or complete the form THIS FORM. Or write to Sun Autumn Stiga Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Please include your name, age, email address or telephone number. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59 GMT. 19.10.24 General terms and conditions apply.
THIS WEEK’S VACANCY Cut the fruitful stems of autumn raspberries to the ground, plant beautiful skimmias and cyclamen, bring in houseplants that you may have given an outdoor holiday in the summer.
TOP TIP Don’t cut off all the tall flowers in your garden, such as Sedum, Rudbeckia and Verbena Bonariensis; they look great covered in icy spider webs and add a little interest to your garden.
