Adding a carpet of spring flowering bulbs is the most satisfying addition to any garden. It's easy to do, it's inexpensive, and it's one of the most important things you can do as a garden owner to provide that early nectar and pollen for our little pollinator friends.
Truthfully, you can fling bulbs into the soil upside down and they will still flower! I'm all for a bit informal and easy gardening but to get the best from your bulbs here are some easy to follow tips.
1. Plant pointy side up.
2. Planting slightly deeper than the recommended 3 times the height of the bulb is safer than planting shallowly. Bulbs planted too shallow risk splitting and resulting in non flowering bulbs in year two.
3. If you have very wet soil it's worth adding sand/grit to the planting hole to aid drainage.
4. Bulbs can be planted in layers as below. Large Allium bulbs in the bottom, Small Alliums and Tulips in the middle layer and the finishing touch for your lasagne will be small bulbs, Crocus and Iris Reticulata. These 3 layers will flower from February through to June.
5. The ideal time for planting is November, it's particularly good if you can wait for a frost as this cleanses the soil and reduces the risk of disease. Bulbs can be planted right up until January if you don't get around to it before Xmas.
6. When waiting to plant your bulbs, store them somewhere cold, dark and dry. Mice love them though so perhaps not the shed or the garage!
7. Don't plant bulbs that feel soft or have green or silver mould on them. These may have blight which can spread rapidly.
