Flower bulbs are often discusses in two groups, Spring and Summer flowering, for convenience, regardless of the type of bulb / corm / rhizome. Spring bulbs are mainly planted in Autumn, and Summer bulbs during the growing season from mid-Spring. Spring-Blooming Bulbs: Summer-Blooming Bulbs:
Category: Bulbs
Types of Bulb
Gardeners refer to several distinct plant structures as flower bulbs in everyday conversation. From a planting season perspective, bulbs / corms / tubers / rhizomes are handled one of 4 ways: For convenience, flower bulbs are commonly classified as Spring or Summer flowering.
How do I store garden bulbs before planting?
If you can’t plant your flower bulbs promptly after delivery, you will need to keep them somewhere suitable to prevent them from rotting or sprouting. This advice applies to any bulb when we deliver it to you, and there is a delay in planting. It is not advice about lifting and storing bulbs that are already growing… Continue reading How do I store garden bulbs before planting?
Growing Dahlias
This guide is for Dahlias in open soil, read about growing Dahlias in pots instead. The golden rules of dahlia growing are to keep them free from frost, plant them in the sun with support (rings with open centres are better than supports with criss-cross grids), then feed them well, keep them free from pests and… Continue reading Growing Dahlias
What are the Dahlia Flower Shape classifications?
Dahlias are all grown basically the same way, but the flowers vary greatly in size and shape. Some are better than others for the border, for cutting, or for showing off your giant dinnerplate blooms that are so heavy they need staking to hold them up! Involute vs Revolute Petals Involute petals curl inwards, closing into… Continue reading What are the Dahlia Flower Shape classifications?
How to Plant and Grow Allium Bulbs
Allium bulbs produce spectacular starburst flowers in late Spring and Summer, after the main flush of spring flowering bulbs. Planting Allium Bulbs When to Plant Alliums Autumn & early winter is peak dry bulb planting time. The ideal months for planting Alliums are from September to mid-November, but as late as the middle of December is… Continue reading How to Plant and Grow Allium Bulbs
How to Plant and Grow Daffodil Bulbs
Daffodils and narcissi are the most popular flower bulbs grown in Britain: good value, very tough, and coming in a wide range of colours, sizes, and shapes. When to Plant Daffodils Plant dry daffodil bulbs in early autumn, ideally September, and potted bulbs or bulbs in the green in early spring. How to Plant Daffodils… Continue reading How to Plant and Grow Daffodil Bulbs
Growing & Planting Tulip Bulbs Guide
Tulip bulbs bring some of the most stunning Spring colours of any plant grown in Britain. They come with a guarantee to make you smile on a sad day, or your blues back! Planting Tulips When is the Best Time to Plant Tulips? The best time for Tulip planting is when the soil has cooled, usually by late October… Continue reading Growing & Planting Tulip Bulbs Guide
How to Make a Bulb Lasagne
A bulb lasagne is a pot of flower bulbs planted in layers for successive flowering all Spring. A 30cm (12”) deep pot is best, but just remove layers if it is shallower: TRANSCRIPT Right, today we’re going to plant a bulb lasagne. So, got a tall, deep pot, and we’re going to plant the bulbs in… Continue reading How to Make a Bulb Lasagne
How to Plant Flower Bulbs at the Correct Depths
This video shows the right depths in pots or in the soil, and planting using a bulb planter tool.Read our how to plant flower bulbs article for more details. This demonstration covers daffodils, tulips, fritillarias, and Iris reticulatas, but the principles apply to all garden bulbs. Transcript: One quick video about bulb sizes and bulb depths. So, the largest bulbs, which… Continue reading How to Plant Flower Bulbs at the Correct Depths
Lifting and Storing Garden Bulbs Over Summer
Traditionally, many spring flowering bulbs, especially Tulips, were lifted (dug up) after flowering every year, stored over Summer when they are dormant, and replanted in Autumn to encourage better flowering the following year, and to protect them from pests. But that received wisdom is not always worth applying to all your bulbs: it depends what you are growing, and… Continue reading Lifting and Storing Garden Bulbs Over Summer
When do Different Bulbs Flower?
Flower bulbs give you waves of vivid blooms for almost no maintenance. With a good collection, you can have something in flower pretty much every month of the year. Bulb Flowering Times Chart We deliver 15 species of garden flower bulbs, corms, and tubers. There are many more to be found in British gardens, but these might… Continue reading When do Different Bulbs Flower?
How to Plant Flower Bulbs
Flower Bulbs are essential garden elements, providing vibrant colour through the year. With a little planning and planting, bulbs give you waves of vivid blooms for almost no maintenance. Winter has Snowdrops, Cyclamens, and Crocuses; Spring delivers Daffodils and Tulips; Summer is alive with Alliums, Lilies, and Dahlias; and Nerines and Colchicums in Autumn.Have a look at… Continue reading How to Plant Flower Bulbs
Best Flower Bulbs
Best Flower Bulbs for Sunny Locations, Dry or Drought-Prone Areas, and Rock Gardens Rockery Varieties Best Flower Bulbs for Containers Rockery Varieties Best Flower Bulbs for Cold North Scotland All Spring bulbs are hardy throughout the UK.Dahlia Tubers can be left outdoors under mulch in most areas of the UK, but may not perform as… Continue reading Best Flower Bulbs
When to Plant Flower Bulbs
Most flower bulbs are planted dry in Autumn, and some species also “in the green” in early Spring. Plant in Autumn Plant in Early Spring Plant in Summer Always try to plant bulbs as soon as possible after purchase for best results
Winter Planting Snowdrops In The Green
Snowdrops in the green are lifted while they are growing: in leaf and quite possibly in flower. This is done because, providing they are transplanted quickly, they tend to establish more readily than stored snowdrop bulbs, with some other pros and cons. How many Snowdrop bulbs do I need? Allow about 75 per square metre… Continue reading Winter Planting Snowdrops In The Green
Planting Bulbs In The Green Guide
When, How & Where to Plant ‘Bulbs in the Green’ Bluebells, Wild Daffodils, Snowdrops, and Aconites are among the few bulbs that transplant well while they are in leaf and growing: before, during or just after flowering.They are treated differently from most dry flower bulbs. which are planted while dormant in the autumn. With bulbs in the green, the active, flowering bulbs are… Continue reading Planting Bulbs In The Green Guide
Dahlia Tuber Parts: Eyes and Crowns
Receiving your Dahlia Tubers Dahlia tubers are like people: they come in a wide range of sizes, from small, narrow, slightly wrinkled ones, to big, round, plump ones.It can be a shock for new Dahlia growers to compare two varieties: the smaller one looks like a reject compared to the bigger one!This diversity is natural, and in… Continue reading Dahlia Tuber Parts: Eyes and Crowns
How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter
Once Dahlia leaves are blackened by the frost, it’s a common practice to dig them up and prepare for storage over the winter How to Lift Dahlia Tubers from the Soil To lift Dahlia tubers before storing them overwinter, you need a garden fork, some pots or crates for storage in a cool, dry place, and something to… Continue reading How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter
How To Start Dahlia Tubers In Spring
We deliver Dahlia Tubers from late February, which is much too early to plant them outsideYou pot them up in a frost free place while you wait for the soil to warm up in April-May Dahlia tubers are tender, and planting them out into cold soil at best sets them back (makes them grow slowly)… Continue reading How To Start Dahlia Tubers In Spring
What Does “Bulbs in the Green” Mean?
There are two ways to buy and/or transplant flower bulbs: either when they dry and dormant, or when they are in growth, known as “in the green” Most bulbs are like bareroot trees in the sense that they are only transplanted when they are dormant. But a few species tend to transplant better when they… Continue reading What Does “Bulbs in the Green” Mean?
Best Plants for A Winter Garden
Tiny marvels dispel winter gloom: the uplifting power of nature! As I filled up the bird feeders yesterday, I noticed the intense dogwood stems contrasted against the fence, and the first winter clematis flowers emerging. I inhaled deeply, savouring the trace of witch hazel on the breeze. “Ah”, I said to myself, “I could feast… Continue reading Best Plants for A Winter Garden
Flower Bulbs in Winter Hanging Baskets
Long-suffering visitors to this website may remember that we gave selling hanging baskets a whirl a few years ago. We stopped because they turned out to require a lot more work than our meticulous business planning on the back of an old envelope had indicated: c’est la vie. From that experience, we learned that there… Continue reading Flower Bulbs in Winter Hanging Baskets
Why Didn’t My Daffodils Flower this Year?
Daffodils (Narcissus) are perennial bulbs whose lifespan varies depending on the particular species and cultivar, the growing conditions and care, or lack thereof! With the correct selection of Narcissus and proper care, you can expect individual bulbs to come back for several years. Before an individual bulb perishes, it is a common sight to see… Continue reading Why Didn’t My Daffodils Flower this Year?
Growing Dahlias in Pots and Patio Containers
March is delivery time for dahlia tubers, which are too tender to plant out any earlier in most of the UK, apart from the mildest coastal South. Because it’s still too cold in most areas to plant them out until April, the best thing to do is pot them up and store them somewhere frost… Continue reading Growing Dahlias in Pots and Patio Containers
When Should You Cut Back Your Spent Bulbs?
Is there anything more restorative than the first flowers of spring? Apart from spring flowers plus kittens wearing watermelon helmets, obviously? March is the time to enjoy the full array of spring bulbs – a rich reward for the aching back and sore knees from our efforts in Autumn. After such a wet winter, it… Continue reading When Should You Cut Back Your Spent Bulbs?
When do Daffodils Bloom in the UK?
The first wild Daffodil to bloom in the UK, as measured by a car park in Somerset, was 11th February 2024. This is it: Wild Daffodils start flowering when the soil temperatures reach around 10C, usually in February or March. In a warm winter like the one we’ve mostly had this year, we are seeing… Continue reading When do Daffodils Bloom in the UK?
When do Snowdrops Bloom in the UK?
Who doesn’t love snowdrops? People who don’t read this article!
Britain’s Favourite Spring Flowering Bulbs
There’s a special thrill that comes with burying your dry bulbs in Autumn & early Winter, followed by months of anticipation till Spring, each with their own payoff: Daffodils are cheerful, Tulips are romantic, Snowdrops are cutie pies, and Hyacinths are just too much, I need to lie down for a while! These and other… Continue reading Britain’s Favourite Spring Flowering Bulbs
How and When to Deadhead Daffodils
Daffodils and Narcissi are undoubtedly among our most cherished and adored spring flowers, and they form a large part of our collection of flowering bulbs. The cheery flashes of bright canary yellow along our roadsides and verges heralds the start of spring and tempts us with summery thoughts of the sunshine to come. Deadheading is… Continue reading How and When to Deadhead Daffodils