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Plant Now for a Beautiful Spring Show
The sight of brightly coloured daffodils, jonquils, tulips, and hyacinths at the end of winter is, I think, the nicest way to welcome spring. These happy flowers are so easy to grow from bulbs and they are super economical too - most bulbs will multiply each year making them the perfect addition to a Cheapskates flower garden.
This Easter weekend has been glorious weather-wise, and time spent in the garden was no chore and I managed to beat the rain.
If you are hoping for a lush display of spring bulbs this year then they should be planted this month, if you haven't already done so. If you're running late, don't despair. You can still have a stunning display of your favourites, you just need to play a little trick on them; I do this every year, mainly because I'm always running late with the bulb planting - growing food takes priority, especially this year.
The main thing to know about bulbs is they need to go through a "winterized" period before planting (which is why we plant them in the ground now). If you haven't managed to get them into the ground and you just know you won't be able to for a while yet, you can fool the bulbs into believing they have gone through winter.
Just place the bulbs in the refrigerator crisper for between six to eight weeks. Keep them in well-ventilated paper bags, and keep them away from other vegetables (some vegetables give off gases that can abort the germination of the bulbs). A large Tupperware vegetable container is ideal for this - the type with the grid in the bottom does a brilliant job of wintering the bulbs and keeping them away from your fruit and veg. If you have a lot of bulbs to plant, consider getting an old refrigerator specifically for this task. Your family will not be pleased if the refrigerator is full to the brim with your bulbs and there's nothing to eat!
After the six week pretend winter period, follow these easy steps to get the bulbs into the ground:
1. Add compost and dig the ground to about 30cm. Make the holes large enough so that the developing roots will have enough soft soil around them to spread and not be crowded.
2. Thoroughly soak the soil that surrounds the hole and scrape ridges in the sides of the hole that will give the roots some form of purchase to penetrate the harder soil.
3. Position the bulb in the hole (about 20cm deep for daffodils and around 10cm for smaller bulbs - no deeper). Place loose soil underneath the bulb to raise it if the hole is too deep. Use a bulb planter if you have one.
4. Fill the hole with improved soil and make sure it is well watered, either through your efforts or nature's efforts.
5.Label the bulbs with they type and the date you planted them.
You can over sow the bulb bed with a groundcover such as Sweet Alice to keep the display up after the bulbs have finished flowering. Simply sprinkle the seed over the top of the bed once you have planted your bulbs and keep it moist until it germinates. The groundcover will flower for weeks after the bulbs have died off and your garden will look spectacular for months.
Don't have a garden? Pots are the answer! Bulbs do well in pots, and you can over sow pots too, so they'll also look spectacular for months.
I give my bulbs a fortnightly treat with a drink of compost tea or worm tea; regular feeding, or fertilising, helps to ensure healthy bulbs and beautiful blooms.
By planting now, following the above steps and giving a little regular TLC, a beautiful display of whatever you plant (my personal favourites are hyacinths, freesias and jonquils) to welcome the warm weather.
This Easter weekend has been glorious weather-wise, and time spent in the garden was no chore and I managed to beat the rain.
If you are hoping for a lush display of spring bulbs this year then they should be planted this month, if you haven't already done so. If you're running late, don't despair. You can still have a stunning display of your favourites, you just need to play a little trick on them; I do this every year, mainly because I'm always running late with the bulb planting - growing food takes priority, especially this year.
The main thing to know about bulbs is they need to go through a "winterized" period before planting (which is why we plant them in the ground now). If you haven't managed to get them into the ground and you just know you won't be able to for a while yet, you can fool the bulbs into believing they have gone through winter.
Just place the bulbs in the refrigerator crisper for between six to eight weeks. Keep them in well-ventilated paper bags, and keep them away from other vegetables (some vegetables give off gases that can abort the germination of the bulbs). A large Tupperware vegetable container is ideal for this - the type with the grid in the bottom does a brilliant job of wintering the bulbs and keeping them away from your fruit and veg. If you have a lot of bulbs to plant, consider getting an old refrigerator specifically for this task. Your family will not be pleased if the refrigerator is full to the brim with your bulbs and there's nothing to eat!
After the six week pretend winter period, follow these easy steps to get the bulbs into the ground:
1. Add compost and dig the ground to about 30cm. Make the holes large enough so that the developing roots will have enough soft soil around them to spread and not be crowded.
2. Thoroughly soak the soil that surrounds the hole and scrape ridges in the sides of the hole that will give the roots some form of purchase to penetrate the harder soil.
3. Position the bulb in the hole (about 20cm deep for daffodils and around 10cm for smaller bulbs - no deeper). Place loose soil underneath the bulb to raise it if the hole is too deep. Use a bulb planter if you have one.
4. Fill the hole with improved soil and make sure it is well watered, either through your efforts or nature's efforts.
5.Label the bulbs with they type and the date you planted them.
You can over sow the bulb bed with a groundcover such as Sweet Alice to keep the display up after the bulbs have finished flowering. Simply sprinkle the seed over the top of the bed once you have planted your bulbs and keep it moist until it germinates. The groundcover will flower for weeks after the bulbs have died off and your garden will look spectacular for months.
Don't have a garden? Pots are the answer! Bulbs do well in pots, and you can over sow pots too, so they'll also look spectacular for months.
I give my bulbs a fortnightly treat with a drink of compost tea or worm tea; regular feeding, or fertilising, helps to ensure healthy bulbs and beautiful blooms.
By planting now, following the above steps and giving a little regular TLC, a beautiful display of whatever you plant (my personal favourites are hyacinths, freesias and jonquils) to welcome the warm weather.