The Correct Method for Installing Spring Bulbs in Borders and Pots
When to Turn Your Garden into a Spring Wonderland: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Bulbs
- Ready, set, bloom! It's autumn, and while the garden might be the last thing on your mind, this is the prime time to learn how to plant bulbs for a beautiful spring display. Here's our how-to guide brimming with expert tips.
- Bulbs: Your Key to Spring Blooms Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres, shares why you should make the most of autumn as the perfect window to plant spring bulbs. "Spring-flowering bulbs are some of the easiest bulbs to grow," he says. "Tulips, hyacinths, narcissus, crocus, and muscari are ideal for beginners as they are easy to grow and extremely versatile, coming back year after year."
- Where to Plant Planting bulbs across garden borders, naturalizing in lawns, or using them in creative container garden ideas are all scenic ways to produce a fantastic display. "Place smaller flowering bulbs like crocus and muscari at the front of your border and plant taller varieties like tulips, and alliums at the back," advises Julian.
How to Plant Bulbs in Borders
Here's a simple step-by-step process to plant bulbs in your garden borders from Maisie State, an in-house planting specialist at Longacres garden centres.
1. Dig a HoleYour holes should be dug to a depth of two to three times the size of your bulb. For example, if your bulb is two inches long, dig your hole up to six inches deep.
2. Pop in a BulbPlace your bulb into the bottom of the hole, with the pointed end facing upwards. Remember to space groups of bulbs a bulb width apart. To avoid waterlogging and rot, TV gardening expert David Dolomoney suggests his "lightbulb" trick[2].
3. Fill the HoleAdd a small amount of compost (like John Innes No 2) to the hole, and carefully backfill the hole with the remaining soil. Avoid pressing the surrounding soil too firmly.
4. Give them a DrinkThen, once all your bulbs are planted, water well. Julian suggests digging in plenty of organic matter around your border bulbs[3].
How to Plant Bulbs in Containers
Planting bulbs in containers is quite similar to planting them in borders. Here are a couple of key differences to note, according to Maisie State.
1. Add GritWhen filling the holes for your container-planted bulbs, bring in a little bit of horticultural grit. By adding grit, you ensure the bulb has optimal drainage.
2. Bulb LasagneConsider the layering (bulb lasagne) technique, where you plant the largest bulbs first, like tulips, followed by smaller bulbs like crocus at the top. You will need to plant them further apart than if you were planting one layer, around 11 to 12 inches apart[4].
FAQs
Do all bulbs need to be soaked before planting?
Not necessarily. Most bulbs do not require pre-soaking unless the soil is very dry[1].
What time of year do you plant bulbs?
Autumn is the best time to plant spring-flowering bulbs as the cool, dry weather helps them to develop strong roots before new growth begins in spring[1].
Now, roll up your sleeves, grab your Spear and Jackson Long Handled Bulb Planter, £24.95, C.P.C. Farnell, Wilkinson Sword Steel Hand Trowel, £11, Amazon, and B&Q GoodHome Peat-free Multi-purpose Compost 50L, £6 and a bag of Homebase Horticultural Grit, 5kg, £2.50 to transform your garden into a vibrant spring display.
[1] "How and When to Plant Spring Bulbs" (2021). RHS Garden Urquhart. Retrieved from https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=6516[2] "How to Plant Spring Bulbs: A Step-by-Step Guide" (2021). BBC Gardeners' World Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210401-how-to-plant-spring-bulbs[3] Dolomoney, D. (2013). David Domoney's Complete Guide to Gardening. Severn House Publishers.[4] Raven, S. (2021). Sarah's Garden: How to Plan, Plant, and nurture your outdoor space. Square Peg, W&N.[5] Pegan, Z., & Davidson, A. (2020). The Royal Horticultural Society's A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Dorling Kindersley.California Poppy Image Credit: Cheestudios at Pexels
- Add a splash of elegance to your home-and-garden lifestyle by transforming your garden borders with the planting of spring bulbs, following the expert tips from Maisie State, an in-house planting specialist at Longacres garden centres.
- Incorporate spring bulbs into your container garden ideas for a delightful home-and-garden display, using the layering technique suggested by Maisie State, or opt for the "bulb lasagne" method to provide a vibrant, multi-layer spring bloom.
