When is the best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs?
In springtime, bulbs come into their own, bringing dashes of colour to the garden when perennials are still waking up from their winter sleep and it’s still far too cold to bring out the annual bloomers.
Bulbs are some of the easiest plants to grow in any garden and will thrive in borders, containers, rockeries, under trees and even in lawns.
Below is our guide to choosing and planting spring-flowering bulbs.
Follow this expert advice and get ready for a stunning show come spring.
When is the best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs?
The ideal time to plant spring-flowering bulbs is during late autumn, typically between September and November. This allows them to establish strong roots before the worst of the winter weather hits.
“Warmth in the soil initiates root growth,” Annelise Brilli, horticultural expert at plant and seed firm Thompson and Morgan, tells Country Living. “Bulbs then need the cold of winter to bring them out of their dormant state and start producing the beginnings of flowers.”
The main exception is tulip bulbs. You should hold off planting tulips until the weather is colder in November – the cooler temperatures reduce the risk of tulip fire. This is a fungal disease that thrives in warm, damp conditions. Caused by the Botrytis tulipae fungus, it produces brown spots and twisted, withered and distorted leaves that can appear as if they have been scorched by fire.
Spring bulbs are generally very hardy – resilience is just one of their many benefits – but if the weather is particularly severe an extra layer of mulch can keep them protected, suggests Claire Hooper, plant area manager at Hillier Garden Centre in Winchester, Hampshire. Or cover the bulbs with a horticultural sheet for extra protection from severe storms and hard frosts.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to bulbs,” gardener Sarah Raven tells Country Living. “Different bulbs require varying timelines and planting methods. If you choose your plants wisely, you will create a succession of beautiful blooms from early spring right through to the summer.”
This might start with dainty white snowdrops (Galanthus), poking through the ground as early as January, heralding the approach of warmer days. Next comes crocus, in bright blues, buttery yellows, sparkling purples, pure white and even stripes, with yellow stamens attracting the first pollinators.
“To ensure this early colour in your garden from February, plant crocus corms in September,” says Sarah. “If you’re planting in containers, use gritty, well-drained soil in full sunshine, and place somewhere you can view from a window, bringing instant cheer during the colder months.”
Where do you plant spring-flowering bulbs in the garden?
One of the beauties of spring-flowering bulbs is their versatility. They can be planted pretty much anywhere in the garden.
Annelise uses bulbs for filling gaps between emerging perennials in borders. She likes Narcissus ‘Hawera’, a dainty dwarf daffodil with nodding, swept-back petals in lemon yellow - “it is perfect for running along border edges”.
Narcissus, which look lovely in rockeries and under smaller trees, are also one of Sarah’s favourites, because they are so reliable, producing more and more blooms each year.
For later and more vivid colour, Annelise plants tulips further into the middle or back of the border. One of her tulip troopers is ‘El Nino’: “A fiery blend of orange, salmon and yellow, like other Triumph tulips it has the advantage of being reliably perennial.” Triumph is a type of tulip renowned for being super-hardy and possessing strong stems.
Flowering later in spring, nodding lilac, purple or white Alliums are “beautifully consistent and require very little effort” in a border or pot, says Sarah. They thrive in well-drained soil and like a permanently sunny spot. “As perennials, they will go undisturbed, a striking look for years,” she adds.
Tulips can also be grown in containers. Annelise suggests choosing a large size, adding fertile, well-drained compost and planting the Darwin tulip ‘Pink Impression’: “These tall tulips bear impressive flowers in an incredible shimmering pink. They are strong Darwin hybrids that are reliably perennial so you can plant them into garden borders afterward.”
For pots, Annelise also adores the “exquisite” flowers of Iris reticulata ‘Spot On’. “These create a jewel-like display against terracotta, emerging from the soil in February when there is little colour in the garden,” she says.
There’s a trend now to liven up lawns with banks of colourful bulbs. Early-flowering Crocus tommasinanus is especially good for this, according to Annelise, because it’s tough and will spread rapidly. “Plant it directly into the grass,” she says. “Don’t waste time planting these small bulbs individually. Just cut out blocks of turf and chuck a few bulbs into the hole, then gently firm the turf back in.”
What happens if you plant spring bulbs too early?
Early planting is not really much of an issue as bulb suppliers don't usually deliver bulbs until September or late August at the earliest, says Annelise: “Providing the bulbs are dormant and the ground is not too wet, early planting should not affect them negatively.” The only exception, she adds, are tulips. These are best planted after the first frosts to reduce the risk of those fungal and viral diseases.
The best bulbs to plant, according to experts
Sarah loves tulips, because of “their big statement colours, interesting shapes and the life they bring to borders and containers”. She chooses strong, bright colours such as yellows and reds for garden areas that enjoy bright sunlight, and pastel shades of pinks, peaches and lemons “that appear to shimmer in the morning light”.
However, Sarah also recommends amaryllis bulbs, “in either jolly red, crimson-washed greens, or rosy pinks and whites” as perfect for welcoming in the new year. Plant amaryllis in September to enjoy full flowers in January: “Position them in a relatively sunny spot as they need lots of light, but don’t allow amaryllis to bask in harsh direct sunlight.”
For Claire, it’s crocus. She adds: “As some of the first flowers to bloom in spring, they are ideal for adding a splash of colour to your outdoor space after the long, grey winter season.”
Annelise likes Muscari, also known as Grape Hyacinth, because these resilient bulbs spread to form colonies in the bare ground beneath deciduous trees and shrubs. “There are some stunning bicolours now available such as Muscari ‘Grape Ice’,” she says. “It’s a gorgeous purple topped with white, so pretty.”
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