A plant for all seasons
Above: A carpet of bluebells in Valley Gardens, Windsor Great Park.
Inset: The dramatic native plant, Snake’s Head Fritillary.
Above: .
Spring bulbs are amongst the most welcome and versatile of garden plants. Nothing heralds the spring in quite the same way as the cheerful yellow trumpets of daffodils and few other plants typify the summer like the fragrant lilies. These plants can also be found in great variety, are readily available in garden centres and from nursery catalogues, and are generally easy to cultivate and maintain. Little wonder then that in a world of rapidly changing garden fashions bulbs rightly retain their popularity.
The bulb season is an extended one with the first of the snowdrops pushing through in late December and the last of the autumn crocus flowers fading in November.
When the old technique of forcing (see box) is utilised, then bulbs can be found in flower at any time of the year. However, late spring probably represents the peak period of flowering when the greatest diversity can be seen. It is the height of the daffodil and tulip season with support from other important groups, such as the ornamental onions (alliums), the Dog’s Tooth Violet (erythronium), fritillaries in various guises, including the dramatic native plant Snakes Head Fritillary, and not forgetting that other splendid native – the bluebell, which washes our woodlands in April and May.
Among their many attributes bulbs also provide us with dynamic change in the garden. They emerge quickly, flower and generally disappear without a fuss. Such a growth pattern can transform a border, lighting it up with vibrant colour before giving way to the next sequence of flowering plants.
Indeed a succession of bulbs can be accommodated in even a small space, as they seem to thrive in each other’s company rather than competing for resources and in many ways this reflects how bulbs are found in the wild. In places where they are naturally most diverse, such as the Middle East and South Africa, they can be found in countless numbers and a kaleidoscope of colours.
Bulbs also readily lend themselves to container culture, adapting happily to the patio or small town garden where they can be planted in tubs, pots and baskets either on their own or with companion plants – spring bulbs with polyanthus, lilies with tender summer perennials. Indeed, most bulbs welcome the warm, sunny conditions of a sheltered patio as this most closely mimics their preferred growing conditions – good light and well drained soil – the exception being the woodlanders such as trilliums and bluebells which require a modicum
of shade.
Bulbs are not only the plant for all seasons but the plant for most situations: cheap, easy and with a joie de vivre which is the essence of good-fun gardening. Enjoy!
Forcing bulbsMany bulbs readily lend themselves to flowering much earlier than in the open garden if they are potted in the autumn and held in a dark, cold place for a period of eight to 10 weeks. Traditionally this has been done by plunging the newly-potted bulbs into a cold frame filled with peat or finely chopped leaf mould. After this time the pots are brought into the warmth where they make rapid progress.
Naturalised bulbsThis term refers to encouraging bulbs to establish themselves permanently in the garden, so that they self-seed, increase in number and become almost maintenance free. The most popular way of naturalising bulbs is to establish them in grass areas. Not all bulbs respond to this situation which requires a degree of vigour in order that the bulbs compete with the grassy and other turf plants. Daffodils adapt readily and can provide a stunning display such as the spectacular Daffodil Valley in the Valley Gardens, part of The Royal Landscape in Windsor Great Park. Crocus and snowdrops are also happy in turf though tulips generally run out of steam unless supplemented by regular additions of new bulbs. One key factor is to ensure that the leaves of the bulbs have completely died down before any mowing is undertaken – generally late June for daffodils.
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