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This warm weather means we still can plant spring bulbs. I was in a big box store the other day and all the bulbs were marked down, so I could not help myself. I picked up a few of the more expensive bulbs like frutillaria, jumbo allium, and fancy narcissus.
I tend to plant bulbs that are unpopular with squirrels, such as daffodils and narcissus, hyacinth, allium and frutillaria.
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When you come across a deal on bulbs, check them out carefully. You want the bulbs to feel like onions. They need to be solid and firm and the skin should be mostly intact. If the bulbs are soft or mushy they will not do anything but rot in the garden.
Not all bulbs need to be planted at the front of your garden. Some alliums can grow up to a metre tall with flower heads at least 30 centimetres across. These plants make great shows in the middle or toward the back of your garden where something else will hide the wilting foliage after the blooming is done.
Frutillaria are amazing blooms with their upside-down bell-like flowers, but they have an awful smell so don’t plant them too close to an open window or patio. This is one bloom best enjoyed from a distance. These bulbs also are a bit fussy and do not like to sit in water. I have planted them in a hole lined with gravel to prevent them from sitting in water. I also turn the bulb slightly on its side so water does not pool in the center of the top of the bulb and cause rot.
I do buy tulips and crocuses if I can get them at a good price, to see how many the squirrels don’t get. I use hen manure when I plant my bulbs.
This time of year, make sure your bulbs are watered in well as this may be the only moisture the bulb gets till spring.
Denise Hodgins is a professional gardening coach in London. Send your questions to coaching@diggendirtdesigns.com
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