It’s October and that means bulb planting. I love it! It’s such an optimistic thing to do. You’re putting into the ground (or a pot) something which, if all goes to plan, will provide that glorious early burst of colour to kick off your Spring garden. However, when it comes to choosing bulbs to plant in Autumn, it can be a bit overwhelming. There’s so much choice. So to help you decide, I thought I’d simply share with you what I plan to do – once the rain eases off!
Spoiler alert! I thought I’d give you an early warning…there are no daffodils in this blog! That’s not because I don’t like them. I’m from Wales after all, so I really do. It’s just that I’ve got enough of them in my garden; they’re around the base of trees and, other than the smaller daffodil, Tete a Tete, I don’t much like them in pots. Equally there are no snowdrops..as I luckily have lots already.
But there are plenty of other bulbs in my plans…So let me walk you around my garden and share what I’m planting and where…
Bulbs to Plant in Autumn – under trees
I’m lucky enough to have a lot of mature trees in my garden. One of these is a lovely copper beech. Under this tree the grass is very scraggy. So I’m creating a bit of a woodland vibe there. (I’m making it sound grander than it is, the area under and around the tree is only a few square metres in total!)
I have already planted a mix of snowdrops, daffodils, chionodoxa, British bluebells and snakeshead fritillary which I started planting under this tree about two years ago. They look gorgeous in Spring.
To keep the gorgeousness going, every year I add to this area, and this year I’m adding more bluebells – 150 of them.
Bluebells
When I say bluebells I mean the British ones, native to this country – hyacinthoides non-scripta. They’re protected in the wild and are at risk of being out-competed by the Spanish type (Hyacinthoides hispanica) or a hybrid (Hyacinthoides x massartiana) which garden centres often sell. I’m avoiding these interlopers. I’m taking care to get the British bluebell which flowers in April and May. I’ve checked with my supplier that their bulbs are cultivated not collected in the wild, which is another thing to be careful of.
Once they arrive I’m going to plant them (10cm deep and 10cm apart) in a swathe along a shaded area next to the Beech tree. I’m trying and create a bit of a glade effect. 150 will be nowhere near enough for that, but it will get me started and I gather they are quick to spread. I can always plant more next year and the year after that!
Planting in Grass – thing to note
Note if, like me, you are planning to plant bulbs in grass, you need to be prepared to resist mowing until at least 6 weeks after the flowers have faded. That way the leaves can continue to use the sunlight to feed the bulb for next year.
Crocuses
When it comes to looking for bulbs to plant in Autumn, crocuses are always on my list. They’re a wonderful early source of pollen for honeybees, and they just gladden the heart.
I’ve already got some (purple and yellow – can’t remember the varieties) planted to create a ‘shadow effect’ under my apple tree. They’re ok but I don’t think they quite get enough light. So they aren’t as robust and dazzling as I’d like. Things aren’t helped by the fact that my dog Bunty likes the spot under the apple tree. She routinely blunders over my poor little crocuses the minute they have the temerity to raise their heads!
Crocuses in a New Spot
Undeterred, I’m planting some more. These again are at the base of a tree but I’ve learned my lesson. This time it’s a sunnier spot and the tree (an Ash) has a much much narrower canopy. Its base gets a fair dose of sun. I’m hoping the new crocuses will fare better here.
I’ve gone for Crocus Prins Claus, a white and purple variety which flowers in February and Barr’s Purple which performs in February and March.
I planted these last weekend. I simply lifted the turf then mixed and scattered the bulbs on the ground to create a natural effect – planting them where they landed (you need to plant them 10 cm deep).
Bulbs to Plant in Autumn – in borders
My semi-shaded bed at the end of the garden is a bit of a hit and miss affair. Some bits work and some bits don’t. If I’m honest, I’ve not got to grips with the way the shade/sun travels across the bed – especially as there are many trees in or near the bed to complicate matters!
Alliums
However, one thing which I’ve got very right in this bed is the alliums. I have Allium Purple Sensation threading its way through my rather wild planting. Growing about 0.9m tall, this allium produces vibrant purple spheres on top of elegant stems in mid May and June. These look wonderful, contrasting with the slightly acid green eurphorbia in the bed and the sweet little plant Silene Fimbriata, which has little fringed bonnet-type flowers.
The Allium seed heads also look handsome once the flowers have faded. I’ve even read of people cutting them off, drying them and spraying them silver of gold to use as decorations on the Christmas tree!!
Well I don’t do any of that. I leave the heads where they are for the birds to enjoy.
I’ve been planting these alliums in the bed for the past four years. As a result, it now has about 90 in it. I’m going to add a handful more. I’ll plant them 10-15cm deep and make sure they are that far apart too.
With a bed like this, you’ve obviously got to be careful that you aren’t digging up existing bulbs when you go to plant new ones. To avoid this, when the alliums were out in May and June I marked with canes where the gaps were. Those canes are still standing, and I’ll use them as my markers for the new bulbs.
Tulips
I have another awkward semi-shaded bed nearby which I’ve completely redesigned. You can read my blog on the new planting scheme for this raised tulip bed. But as a summary, its planting heavily features bulbs!
Again these are bulbs to plant in Autumn and include the Allium Purple Sensation (as it’s so close to the other bed, I want to create a sense of continuity). However I’ve also planted in the bed huge drifts of tulips.
These include Mystic Van Eijk. Growing about 50cm tall, it produces lovely silky pink blooms in April and May. I’ve gone for this tulip for a number of reasons. Firstly, the pink will be a perfect contrast to the lambs ear and grasses I also have in this bed. This tulip also, importantly, tolerates a bit of shade. Added to all this, it’s hardy, study and rain resistant. (Bit like me!)
Alongside this pink tulip I’ve planted Tulip Mondial. Growing 35cm tall, it produces giant, ivory coloured, peony-type, ruffled double flowers again in April and May.
I appreciate that there’s a risk with tulips planted in the border. Some suppliers warn you of only a 30-40 percent return the following year if you leave the bulbs in the ground. I’ve not got the patience to plant the bulbs in baskets and lift them every year. So I’m going to take my chances. I’ll see how I get on. Fingers crossed I’m ‘blooming lucky’ with this idea.
Bulbs to Plant in Autumn – in pots
As always, I’m planting a host of pots with new tulip combinations. You can see some of my favourite past combinations here in a my tulip blog.
I will be trying some new combinations of oranges and reds this year, as I want pots for my ‘hot’ corner.
Irises
However, I will also be adding irises to the containers on my main patio. I have a lovely oblong stone trough which is currently overflowing with lobelia. When the lobelia finally fades, I’ll replace it with the Iris Painted Lady. This delicate pale blue and ivory dwarf iris grows just 15 cm tall and flowers in February and March. (Sorry it’s not the iris in the picture).
I tried Painted Lady last year in a small pot, but it got so buffeted by the rain that it became flattened and washed out – very disappointing. However, Monty Don raves about it, so I’m going to give it a second go, making sure the trough is in a more sheltered spot. If it doesn’t perform, that’s it! I’m not giving the iris (or Monty) a third chance. After all, there are so many gorgeous irises to choose from, why keep persevering with one which doesn’t work for me?
Bulbs to Plant in Autumn – when to plant
So that’s it, my bulb plans for this year. All of the tulips (including those in pots) won’t get planted until November. That way they will only start putting roots down then (rather than creating shoots which could be damaged by the cold frosts). This timing is also recommended as the cold temperatures help to wipe out viral and fungal diseases that lurk in soil and can infect tulip bulbs.
Everything else I’ll plant straight away, as soon as this rain stops…so go away rain!!
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