When can I expect my bulbs?
By Post: start of October
Pick up at Bulb Sale: Sat 1st & Sun 2nd Oct 10am-3pm
Email [email protected] for a time slot
Autumn is the best time for planting spring and summer bulbs but don't panic if you miss this window, just store them in a cool dark place until you can get them planted, and they will just flower a little later. We plant the majority of our tulips after Christmas.
Narcissi put roots down early so begin with these. Tulips however need a soil temperature of below 10 degrees C so you may need to contain your impatience until November - particularly if you live down South.
How to plant your bulbs
If you want to create naturalistic planting in grass the best way to achieve this is to throw or roll the bulbs and plant exactly where they land. Don’t be tempted to move them even if they are close to each other. We use a snake tongue trowel to plant 9000 bulbs each year.
- Depth: The easiest way is to make sure the hole is three times the depth of the bulb.
- Tulips and hyacinths are antisocial and like to be planted with space around them compared to other bulbs such as narcissi, crocus and camassia who love to socialise.
- Fritillaria and Camassia will thrive in damp conditions but most other bulbs like well-drained soil.
In Pots:
- Try planting a bulb ‘lasagne’ in a large planter with larger later-flowering bulbs at the base, daffodils in the middle and smaller bulbs such as Muscari at the top. Join us for a workshop Make a Bulb Trifle!
- Rodents – Place old bits of soap and chilli flakes in pots or near to your planting positions to stop rodents eating your precious bulbs. Holly on top of bare pots can make rodents and squirrels think twice.
- Aftercare – water in really dry weather like the spring we had this year.