Natalie, I love your "before and after" photos of the back garden. You've already made a huge difference!
You asked how long the bulbs would last. Did you mean how long would they be flowering this year, or how many years you could expect them to reappear? If you meant the former, the daffs will go on into April in a normal year, and the tulips into May, depending on variety. Different sorts of alliums flower at different times, from spring to midsummer.
If you meant how soon will you need to replace them - daffodils, crocus and snowdrops can go on pretty well for ever if they like you! I've twice bought a house where the only plant still growing and flowering through the wilderness of weeds was a bulb - purple crocuses in my current garden, narcissus in another. Tulips are a bit more iffy, especially in heavy soil. Some people lift and dry them after flowering each year & replant the following autumn. My alliums come back each year, mostly.
Spring bulbs come on sale in garden centres in September and you're best planting them in the autumn. Tulips do best if planted a bit later, in October.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Sorry, just noticed you asked if you'll get more and more flowers each year from your bulbs. Some bulbs spread by seeding (like snowdrops), some by growing babies from the side of the old bulb (like daffodils). The ones which like the place you've planted them will give you more flowers, if you're lucky, by reproducing one way or another - but there's a maximum size for each bulb so you'll only get one or two flower heads from each bulb, usually.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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Natalie, I love your "before and after" photos of the back garden. You've already made a huge difference!
You asked how long the bulbs would last. Did you mean how long would they be flowering this year, or how many years you could expect them to reappear? If you meant the former, the daffs will go on into April in a normal year, and the tulips into May, depending on variety. Different sorts of alliums flower at different times, from spring to midsummer.
If you meant how soon will you need to replace them - daffodils, crocus and snowdrops can go on pretty well for ever if they like you! I've twice bought a house where the only plant still growing and flowering through the wilderness of weeds was a bulb - purple crocuses in my current garden, narcissus in another. Tulips are a bit more iffy, especially in heavy soil. Some people lift and dry them after flowering each year & replant the following autumn. My alliums come back each year, mostly.
Spring bulbs come on sale in garden centres in September and you're best planting them in the autumn. Tulips do best if planted a bit later, in October.
Sorry, just noticed you asked if you'll get more and more flowers each year from your bulbs. Some bulbs spread by seeding (like snowdrops), some by growing babies from the side of the old bulb (like daffodils). The ones which like the place you've planted them will give you more flowers, if you're lucky, by reproducing one way or another - but there's a maximum size for each bulb so you'll only get one or two flower heads from each bulb, usually.
These are a few pics from my garden today, the garden has improved since last summer. Do you think I can pull out the old winter pansies and the rest?
The salvia aims tad do look nice, I've never seen one before. Will it just die off and come back each year? I'll get the flowers pulled out
Hello , lots of good advise , if you have time why not visit a few gardens under the NGS , they open for charity at weekends for some ideas
Looks like you have made a great start , keep going