With spring not quite being here yet and officially lasting for all of March, April and May, there’s plenty of time to pop in some bulbs as long as the ground is suitable. Whilst some spring bulbs come back every year, others don’t and therefore need to be planted again.
‘If your soil isn’t frozen solid or waterlogged, you still have time to plant spring bulbs,’ says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres.
Our experts below give us their top plants to plant now that will give you some lovely flowers in a few months – and include some easy spring bulbs to grow in pots to give you a beautiful display.
1. Tulips
It’s not too late to plant tulips – I only planted my tulip bulbs about two weeks ago, they sat in the box they were delivered in waiting patiently while I got round to it! But they’ll be okay and will just bloom a little later than those planted in November or December.
‘Tulips make great cut flowers – singles, doubles, and parrot tulips are all great options. Get them in as soon as you can, the ideal depth for tulips is about 15cm deep in soil that drains well,’ advises Julian.
James Ewens, gardening expert at Green Feathers agrees, ‘For tulips in late spring, you’ll want to prioritise tulips that tend to bloom in April and May – Darwin Hybrids and Parrot tulips are popular for later-spring flowering in a cut flower garden. Tulips thrive in cool, fertile, well-draining soil, and in late January, early February, you should have the ideal tepid conditions. Once you’ve planted them water well, and mulch with compost or bark.’
It can be harder to buy them now, but we’ve sourced a few varieties that are still available. Gardening Express have these vibrant Darwin Red bulbs, £7.99 for 25 bulbs
And check out these stunning Tropical Dreams tulips – which look a little like peonies when they bloom, £9.99 for a 25 bulbs. Amazon have seven Tulipa Parrot Prince bulbs in a deep purple for £4.99, don’t miss out!
2. Sweet peas
‘Sweet peas are beautiful, delicate, fragrant additions to a cut flower garden,’ says James. They thrive in cool, fertile soil, and require a sturdy trellis for the support, as they’re known to go a little bit wild.’
They are also perfect for small gardens – you can grow sweet peas in pots to add colour to a patio garden, so if that’s your only space, then go for it!
Julian agrees, ‘If you only grow one thing for cutting, make it sweet peas. Start them indoors now in deep pots or root trainers. Come May, you’ll have loads of perfumed blooms, perfect for a cut flower arrangement or bouquet. They like cool conditions for germination, so January and February are ideal to start sowing.’
According to James, it’s worth feeding your sweet peas with fertiliser when flower buds start to pop up. ‘Regular care for your sweet peas includes harvesting them often as it encourages continued flowering – so keep a pair of scissors handy!’
3. Narcissi
Daffodils, which also include narcissus, can still be planted – even in February. Nothing beats the beautiful, delicate petals of paperwhites; they herald the start of spring and are easy to grow and care for – one of my favourites, but there are plenty of others to choose from.
‘Narcissi varieties bloom in late spring, coming into flower at the end of April. Jonquilla daffodils are popular late-flowerers, and should be planted 10-15cm deep and spread out, pointed upwards, and given plenty of water. While partial shade will suffice, the more sun the merrier for daffs,’ advises James.
Farmer Gracy has narcissus Paperwhite available, you can choose five, 10 or 25 bulbs. Or if you’d like to try the Jonquilla, Amazon has five bulbs of the Jonquilla Pueblo variety for £4.99.
4. Alliums
Fabulous for adding height and drama to your garden, alliums are definitely worth considering.
James says now is the perfect time too, ‘I just love alliums. They’re naturally late-flowering, so planting in late January or early February is optimal, as (hopefully) we’re past that frosty weather. Pick large, healthy bulbs, and expect big, dramatic flowers that add dimension to your garden. Varieties like Allium Giganteum are ideal for cut flowers – they grow high, and have impressive flower heads.’
Amazon are selling two bulbs of Giganteum Alliums for £2.99, plant in partial shade now and they’ll bloom in the summer.
‘Alliums are worth it if you’re looking for something a bit different,’ agrees Julian. ‘Those spherical blooms on tall stems look incredible in a vase. The purple globes add proper height.’
If you want to pop them in a vase then choose a tall narrow design like Habitat’s tall ribbed clear glass vase, £12, Argos, it has enough height to balance out the tall alliums.
Spring flower essentials
Verve Natural Woodchip Mulch, 100L bag
Mulch is great for locking in moisture and keeping weeds at bay, which in turn helps your plants to grow stronger and healthy. It can be used all year round and this mix is good for paths, flower beds and borders.
1 Pack Garden Trellis, Rustproof Metal Arch, 70 x 20 inches
For a country cottage look, train your sweet peas up this charming metal garden trellis. They love having something to hold on to and this design is ideal.
Give your bulbs this perfect blend of bio-active components and they will have a head start this spring. The micorrhizal fungi is a symbiotic organic matter that attaches to the roots of your plants which helps them to absorb more water and nutrients from the soil.
There’s no doubt about it, if you buy some spring bulbs and plant them as soon as you can then you will get some spring flowers to cut. In the UK weather does play a big part, which can give us a bit of a leeway when it comes to planting.
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