Flower bulbs are some of the most popular gardens plants. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are easy to grow and really brighten up your garden after a long, dark winter.
Spring bulbs should be planted in autumn, so now is the time to really get to grips with flower bulbs.
Here is a quiz to test your knowledge of bulb facts and trivia, plus see if you can recognise some less-common varieties.
P.S. Take the stress out of choosing and mixing individual bulbs yourself. I’ve put together an exclusive collection of spring bulbs and seeds for John Lewis, matched by size, colour and flowering time to guarantee a fantastic display.
At the end of the summer I had the delight of going over to Haven in Great Yarmouth to judge an exciting competition they had.
They tasked lots of holiday home owners with creating little gardens out of free buckets.
I have to say that the challenge was taken up with a phenomenal amount of enthusiasm. I was bowled over by the little buckets – loads of thought had gone into it and some people even created handmade items. They were filled with imagination and humour and I wanted to share some with you. Here are a few of my favourites.
This won first prize and it’s a truly magnificent display. It has three buckets made into a seaside cliff with brown fabric linking them together. The outermost one has a fantastic windmill, and I love the little catcus in the middle bucket.
The main bucket is an evergreen treasure with lovely white rope fencing and garden furniture. The use of fabric, shells, pebbles and even cocktail umbrellas give this garden bags of personality.
The plants are great choices for a low-maintenance container, including ivy, primrose, adjuga and plenty of alpines.
The second-place bucket garden is a green haven! It’s jam packed with plants to create a miniature world cut through with a tiny path. It has viola, ageratum, mossy saxifrage, a dwarf conifer and even a few cactus plants.
I love the beach bucket attached to the side with sand, driftwood and a little towel. It also has a large rock with a little man who is preparing to dive into the smaller bucket. It’s really inventive and the planting is so clever.
As you can see, this holiday home bucket has been dressed around the outside with a little seaside rake and spade to remind you of being on holiday. In the centre there is a little camper caravan with a table and chairs.
I love the violas and campanula around the outside, and the sunflower representing the sun in the sky. The rainbow and cotton-wool clouds are also inventive. What a great bit of fun to brighten up the step of any caravan.
This is a beautiful pink and purple display and I love the bucket decoration. Those hibiscus flowers around the outside make a real difference. It’s planted with viola and alpines, which are great plants for long-lasting containers.
The recycled elements are very imaginative, including the use of plant labels to make the fence. The fountain is made from a plastic water bottle that has been cut into strips and bent back around. It flows into a water feature that’s really an ice-cream tub which has been painted. There’s also a little meerkat on that terracotta slab. The whole bucket has got a great deal of personality.
This is a typical seaside bucket, including a lovely seagull. I love the nautical theme with the upended pot and the blue representing the water, with a wooden boat, anchor and ring too. There are also lots of shells and stars to decorate.
The alpines, iberis and grasses are great container plants because they are low-maintenance. All in all, a gorgeous seaside tub.
This is more forest-like. They have attached more containers around the outside of the bucket to give them more planting room and filled it with lovely evergreens. It has a tall conifer at the back to make you think of a fir tree. Beside that is a log cabin made from little wooden sticks that have been cut up and stuck together.
I also love the white table and chairs and the little wheelbarrow at the front, and the splash of colour from the red cyclamen. It even has a wooden bridge linking the two pots. A very imaginative display.
This is a beautiful one – it even has a homemade lodge in the back. And that windmill! It has all been made from recycled objects. I love the coffee stirrers and the tennis ball roof. It’s truly original and creative.
The planting even includes a baby oak tree which looks like it was found on a woodland walk. And I love the use of buxus and alpines for evergreen foliage. It’s a really imaginative scene.
This is the Great British seaside in a bucket! I love the handmade bunting and flags, and the puffin is a nice touch. The cut-up water bottles are used to make a sea splashing effect around the bucket, and the silvery planting and grasses reminds me of sand dunes. It’s really effective and would brighten up any home.
Thank you very much to Haven for inviting me to judge the competition. And well done to everyone who took part.
This is just a small selection of all the buckets that people have created to add a splash of colour to the steps of their holiday caravans. They looked marvellous and everyone should be very proud of their creations.
Light up your home this Christmas with the sight and scent of bulbs. Hyacinths, amaryllis and fragrant narcissus all have a stunning effect when you bring them into flower in the depths of winter.
Start preparing in autumn for blooms over the Christmas period. Forcing bulbs to flower early can be tricky, but it’s worth it for the beautiful scent and rich, dramatic blooms.
How do I force bulbs for winter?
Bulbs know to flower outside because the soil warms up after a long winter. To force them, you will need to artificially create a cool, dark period to mimic winter, before bringing the bulbs into the house for ‘spring’ warmth.
The easiest way to do this is to buy special bulbs for forcing. These are labelled ‘prepared’ – hyacinths and Narcissus ‘Paperwhite’ are the most common varieties. These bulbs have been refrigerated for a long period and are ready to be forced into growth.
Hyacinths will flower 10 to 13 weeks from planting, depending on the variety. Narcissus Paperwhite takes 6 to 10 weeks. Always check the packet before you buy.
The exception is amaryllis, which comes from South America and does not need a cold winter. Simply plant the bulb in October and it will flower six to eight weeks later.
Forcing hyacinths in vases
The traditional method of forcing bulbs used specially designed glass vases that were popularised in Victorian times. You can still buy them from garden centres and homeware shops.
Start by filling the vase with water almost up to the neck. Sit the hyacinth bulb on the top so its base is almost touching the water, but not quite. Place the vase in a bright, warm spot. You may wish to wear gloves to handle hyacinths, as the bulbs can cause skin irritation.
The roots should begin to grow down towards the water. Keep the vase topped up with water and follow the growing instructions below.
Most people want to use pots to force bulbs. To start, cover the bottom of your pot with a layer of gravel. Drainage is very important with bulbs as they rot in waterlogged soil.
Half-fill your container with general purpose compost. Nestle your bulbs on the surface, pushing and twisting them into the compost to make sure there are no air holes underneath the bulb. Use the spacing advised on the packet. Cover with compost so just the tips of the bulbs are showing. Now gently water the planter.
Place the pots in a cool, dark place that is frost-free. You want something that is around 10C – a garage, cellar or dark shed is ideal. If there is too much ambient light, cover the pots with a black polythene bag.
Check on the pots regularly and top up with water if the compost feels dry.
Bringing the bulbs into flower
Keep an eye on your bulbs. Once the shoots are 4 to 5cm long, bring the pots indoors. First, keep them in a cool, bright spot to allow the leaves to go green. Then move to a bright, warm spot to bring them into flower.
Keep the bulbs well-watered. You can also stand pots on trays or saucers filled with gravel and a little water. This keeps the atmosphere around the leaves humid, especially important when central heating makes the air dry.
Make sure you place the pots in an area with a steady conditions. Bulbs are sensitive to temperature changes just like humans. Keep them away from draughts or radiators.
If the leaves begin to develop but there’s no sign of the flower buds, place the pots back in a cool spot and cover to keep dark. Do this only for one to two days, then return them to the warmth and light.
Make sure to rotate pots of amaryllis regularly. They grow towards the light, so keep turning the pot to ensure the stem grows straight.
You should soon see stunning flowers emerge and open up. Make sure to keep watering well to make the blooms last!
Aftercare
Do not attempt to force the same bulb more than once every few years or it will become weak and stop flowering. Allow the bulb to return to a normal cycle.
Hyacinths can be planted in the garden or in pots outside once the leaves have faded. Amaryllis should be fed and watered through until summer and then rested. It should be brought back into growth the following spring.
The exception is Narcissus Paperwhite, which is not hardy. Allow the leaves to go brown and then take the bulbs out of the pots and remove any soil. Store for replanting in containers in autumn.
