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Spring bulbs!

GlenjjonesGlenjjones Posts: 146
in Plants

I realise that we are still in mid summer, but I am trying to be pro active in my planning for next spring, and I am starting to think about spring bulbs. Not having planted many bulbs in the past, I am not sure when the best time to buy and plant them is. If I understand it correctly, spring flowering bulbs will be on sale anytime from august onwards, and I should look to plant them in September or October. Is this correct?

Also, what bulbs would you suggest? 

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  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    My supplier has already sold out of a few varieties!
    You are correct about planting times for most bulbs, but it is recommended to wait until November to plant tulips, to avoid a disease called tulip fire.
    As to which bulbs it is up to you and what you want them for. There are so many types available now you will be spoiled for choice!
    Lots of good suppliers out there, prices may vary though, so cross reference! Ask on here before committing yourself, if you have any doubts.
  • GlenjjonesGlenjjones Posts: 146

    Thanks for the quick reply. I'm not sure about buying online, as I have heard mixed reviews, and everything I have seen seems quite expensive compared to the physical garden centres.

    Being Welsh I will definitely grow some Daffodils or Narcissus, as I have done before. :)

    I would be looking for bulbs such as this that can be left in the ground, as I'm not keen on having to dig up and re-plant each year. I'm all about minimising the workload. 

    Do you have any favourites?

  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    My favourites are probably anenomes (not the Japanese type), they come in a good variety of colours and just keep flowering, so long as you snip off the spent flower stems and keep watering. I have a white and a deep lilac-blue called Mr Fokker (see my little icon) but there are some lovely deep red and plum shades I have my eye on. Allium Atropurpureum and Purple Sensation I like too. a great source of inspiration is the online specialist bulb supplier Avon Bulbs. Not the cheapest, but I believe very good quality. Garden Centre bulbs can be of variable quality, I think you get what you pay for, as in all things in life.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    You can buy common varieties and mixed bags cheaply, but for greater variety, special flowers  or larger size bulbs online is the place to look.
    Parkers is cheap and said to be ok for bulbs, but don't rely on them for anything else, they get very mixed reviews.
    I've bought from Peter NYssen for over 40 years and always had good service and good bulbs.
    I've started collecting daffodils and narcissi - favourites include Ice Follies, Thalia, Rapture, White Lion and Poeticus, but there are lots of others I love!
  • GlenjjonesGlenjjones Posts: 146

    Thanks Guys. As I don't want to spend too much money. I might just try a few this year and add to  them over the next few years, as I did with the perennials.

    Any tips for planting? I assume that some look better in small groups?

    Also, being the type of person who likes value, will all bulbs multiply over time, like daffs can grow into a clump, or do some just stay as a single bulb? from my experience Tulips and Alliums tend to only produce a single stem. is that right? This will give me better idea how to plant them (i.e. small groups of 2 or 3 bulbs for spreading, or larger groups for impact).

  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    edited July 2018
    I'm only really getting 'into' bulbs this year also.  I usually just buy a large net of daffodils from one of the large diy stores.  Next year I want more variety, so I ordered from an online source (Peter Nysson) and am now looking forward to an earlier, longer, more colourful Spring display.  There is an astounding variety of bulbs online compared to the run of the mill bulbs in the shops.  I usually plant in groups of 3 or 5........a friend plants bulbs in circles, which look lovely when the plants are in flower.  
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Some Alliums will self-seed, Glen, and pop up all over the place, others are sterile. I did have some multiple-headed tulips. I consider it a resounding success if any bulb reappears the following year!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • GlenjjonesGlenjjones Posts: 146

    Thanks, I've grown Daffs before and found them pretty easy, just plant water and leave them do their thing, then tidy them up when they die back. that's the sort of thing I'm looking for. Self seeders are good too, as I don't mind pulling out a few that are in the wrong place and letting other go.

    Never had much luck with other bulbs, though never really put any effort into them either, so time will tell. think I'll start with some of the more run of the mill bulbs then if they work add a bit more variety over a few years.

  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    Your lack of success with other bulbs could be down to your soil type and climate Glen. I can't grow the spring anemones that thrive for Nollie, the corms rot in my cold wet winters here.

    Maybe have a scroll back through the forum's "Garden Gallery" pages, to photos posted this spring for some inspiration. 

  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    Thank you for asking this question Glenjjones,lots of interesting and very helpful answers.Some I'd never thought of,I think we all get excited to see our first spring bulb shoots!😁
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
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