Right Bulb Moment

Spring bulbs never fail to lift the spirits, says Adrienne Wild, so plant them now for a garden full of delights

 

- Adrienne Wild

Just like Woolworths’ famous pick-and-mix sweet selection, you’ll find that your local garden centre is offering loose dry bulbs. This means that you can select your favourites and create a bespoke spring garden in an array of colours that will come back year after year.

These dry bulbs, which can also be bought in pre-selected packs, have their embryo flowers and foliage already formed within. This makes them a cheap and reliable choice for creating a beautiful, stylish garden – especially if you are on a strict budget.

Not only that, but they are easy to use, too – even if you have no experience in the garden. You simply plant the bulbs the right way up around 10-15cm deep in soil that is light and well draining, then wait until spring when they’ll erupt from the ground and decorate your garden with vibrant colour!

Spring bulbs are ready for planting between now and the end of November. There are daffodil and narcissus varieties that will flower in succession from February through to May, so it’s best to pick and mix a selection of ‘earlies’ and ‘lates’ and plant them in batches right through until the end of October. Tulip varieties can be similarly planted and also up to six weeks later, for blooms that are timed to rub shoulders with brightly coloured spring bedding and flamboyant shrubs like magnolias and rhododendrons in May.