spring bulbs: new birth and their fresh beauty
Winter will never end we may say, but take heart spring will be with us once again for our daffodils are a message of hope, they carry little fragrance but give joy and a sense of wonder.
Daffodils and Narcissus
Daffodils and Narcissus can be grown in a variety of situations, in full sun or partial shade, in tubs or in the ground but let them die down completely or when the leaves begin to turn yellow. Some gardeners bundle the leaves and tie them for neatness, however, this is a misconception. Bulbs store their food in summer to be used in the production of flowers the following spring. By restraining the surface of the leaf the sun cannot get enough leaf surfaces, therefore food reserves are not properly formed within the bulb, this can result in much smaller blooms or no blooms at all when the bulb has ‘gone blind’.
The difference between daffodils and narcissus is that daffs have a long trumpet in the centre but the ones with a shorter cup are narcissus. The best time to plant your bulbs is August and September. You may find bulbs are either single nose which only produce a single flower or double nosed producing two. They come in many different bright or pastel colours; they range from species type up to the stately King Alfred and can be single or double blooms.
Tulips
The word tulip is from the Turkish word ‘Dulband’ meaning turban having a similar shape to the tulip flower. Plant your tulips later in October to December as they need the colder months to start them into growth. Sizes range from a few inches (rockery type) to 30” tall which would need some form of support. They come in a wide range of shapes, forms and colours to suit every palette.
Snowdrops
Also known as snow piercers, snowdrops are the first to delight us early in the year followed by the crocus. Always purchase your snowdrops ‘in the green’ from a garden centre or plant nursery as they are difficult to grow yourself from bulbs. As they multiply over time they can be lifted and divided to make more clumps around your garden. Do this approximately every 3 to 5 years.
Crocus
Both crocus and snowdrops are vital early food supplies for our early bees, for we must always consider them, doing our bit for conservation and helping them to survive through to late spring after their winter sleep until their food supply of dandelion and coltsfoot are in abundance once again. Birds however, love to peck at crocus flowers, but by planting lavender close by the birds will avoid your blooms. As well as planting clumps of crocus in your borders or in pots, they also look delightful planted in your lawn or around the base of trees.
There are many other types of spring bulbs you can choose for many situations around your garden, aconites, grape hyacinths, anemones and for indoor planting too, such as hyacinths specially prepared to bloom at Christmas, cyclamen and paper whites grown for their delightful perfume. There are also summer and autumn bulbs too, so don’t forget to look for these throughout the seasons.
Combination Planting
Planting tulips and bluebells together looks wonderful among the expanding fronds of the lady fern which will continue to grow and camouflage the fading and unsightly leaves of the bulbs, also planting tulips with wallflowers gives a wonderful perfumed display. Daffodils and forget-me-nots combine beautifully, but be careful to remove the fading flowers of forget-me-nots before they go to seed or they will take over the garden borders.
Plant Survival
All plants need water, light, warmth and a modicum of minerals, without something of all four no plant can survive for long. Always feed your bulbs in summer every 7 to 10 days with a liquid tomato feed. When leaves start to turn yellow, stop feeding, they will then produce good sized flowers the following year. When planting bulbs in tubs use John Innes No. 2 compost as this mix is the best. Look for the numbers on the bag. The first number relates to the nitrogen content, the second phosphorous and the third being potassium, so look for the numbers 3 5 3 having the ingredients as above to suit good bulb growth and health.
Always select good quality bulbs, which should feel firm to the touch be free from mould and disease and of a good size. With good nourishment and care your bulbs will delight you for many years to come.
Image credit Aliis Sinisalu on Unsplash
