Why Bulbs Make The Easiest And Most Rewarding Spring Displays
Bulbs really are pure magic. You pop them into the soil in autumn, largely forget about them, and then, come spring, you’re rewarded with bursts of colour and fragrance that lift the spirits like nothing else.
They’re one of the easiest way to guarantee garden success, no matter how experienced you are. Whether you’re filling beds and borders, dotting them through your lawn, or planting up patio pots, bulbs bring unbeatable impact.
Better still, most are hardy and reliable, so once planted they’ll come back year after year. With just a little forward planning, you can create months of continuous spring colour.
Ordering Your Bulbs
The first step is always the most exciting… Choosing which bulbs you want to feature in your garden.
Luckily, at YouGarden, we’ve put together a wide range of spring-flowering bulbs to help you create displays that will stop you in your tracks.
From cheerful crocus and daffodils to dramatic tulips and showstopping alliums, there’s something for every gardener and every space. And you can mix and match many varieties with our brilliant 3 for 2 offer across many lines, including Mixed Species Crocus, Allium ‘Drumsticks’, and classic tulips.
When deciding what to plan, always think about succession. Crocus for early pops of colour, daffodils and tulips to follow, and alliums to round things off later in spring. That way, you’ll have a seamless season of blooms.
Order early to secure the best selection and give yourself plenty of time to plan where everything will go.
What To Do Straight Away After Receiving Your Bulbs
When your parcel of bulbs arrives in the post, resist the urge to leave it sitting by the door. Bulbs are living things and they’ll want to breathe.
Open the packets as soon as you can and check them. Each bag with be labelled with the variety, so you needn’t worry about getting your hyacinths confused with your tulips.
Store your bulbs in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place until you’re ready to plant. Somewhere like a shed or garage is fine, so long as it’s frost-free. While they’re waiting, use this time to plan where you’ll plant them.
Think about sunny spots for tulips, drifts through grass for crocus, and taller alliums at the back of borders. Identifying where to plant before you head outside makes the whole job easier. A little preparation now saves a lot of faffing later on.
How To Plant Bulbs This Autumn
Autumn is planting time. Most bulbs want to go into the ground between September and November, though tulips prefer late October onwards once the soil cools.
As a rule of thumb, plant bulbs at a depth about two to three times their own height, with the pointy end facing upwards.
If you’re filling pots, try the ‘lasagne method’, which involves layering different types of bulbs at varying depths, so they flower one after another. It’s the easiest way to guarantee a succession of colour in small spaces. You can read our conclusive guide to lasagne planting here, and grow like a pro!
After planting, give them a good watering to settle the soil and help roots establish. Across winter, you don’t need to do much more. The bulbs are perfectly hardy and will be quietly preparing for spring underground.
Just make sure containers don’t become waterlogged by raising them slightly off the ground to boost drainage.
Prolonging Your Flowering Display Once Spring Arrives
Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for! You’ll love seeing green shoots pushing through the soil, followed by vibrant flowers that bring your garden to life.
To keep bulbs flowering for as long as possible, a little TLC goes a long way. Deadhead faded flowers promptly to stop plants wasting energy on seed production and instead divert it back into the bulb for next year.
Keep watering during dry spells, especially for bulbs in pots, as they can dry out quickly. Feeding with a liquid fertiliser once a fortnight during flowering helps, too, boosting both blooms and bulb strength.
Planting different varieties together also helps extend the display. Early crocus and daffodils, mid-season tulips, and late-spring alliums give you months of colour. With just a little care at this stage, you’ll get maximum enjoyment from your spring bulb planting.
Treating Bulbs And The Next Steps After Flowering
Once the flowers are spent, resist the temptation to cut the foliage down straight away. As untidy as those yellowing leaves might look, they’re essential. The plant is busy photosynthesising and storing energy back in the bulb for next year’s display. Only remove leaves once they’ve completely died back.
For bulbs in beds and borders, that’s usually enough. For bulbs in pots, you can lift them, dry them off, and store them in a cool, dry place to replant next season.
Alternatively, treat annual bulbs like tulips as a one-season wonder and replace them with fresh stock. Adding a slow-release fertiliser at this stage will also help bulbs recharge.
With a little aftercare, your spring display will come back stronger year after year, giving you not just one season of joy but a lifetime of spring colour to look forward to.
