Bulbs

[4pygmies]

I don't like to see a blank space, if I can fill it with babble, I will! What sort of bulbs is everyone planting over the next few weeks? I had a little whinge about the new PINK daffs on the beeb MB - what a daft idea - everyone knows daffs should be yellow!
I am going to try and afford fritillarias this year. I went to Sissinghurst Gardens last Spring and fell in love with them. They are SOO gorgeous. I didn't realise how expensive they are though! I've never really come across the more unusual types before. When you get close and have a peep they are the most amazing colours and patterns inside the flowers.
I have to grow all my bulbs in plastic pots sunk into the ground otherwise they get lost in the general untidyness in the garden. There is a specialist nursery just down the road from me with a sale next weekend - lovely...

[Chuckles]

I have ordered some 25 Allium Purple Sensation 50 Mixed Small flowering Alliums from Parkers, I love Alliums but have never grown them before.

I agree with you 4pygmies on the Daffs, it's bit like cricketers wearing pink and other daft colours, althouygh I'm sure some will be good once we get used to them.

Like you I will probably grow my Alliums in pots, the Purple Sensation in large Terracotta pots and the samll ones in plastic ones to pop in the borders, not sure if this is something you can do with Alliums so any tips from members would be aprreciated.

Oh how I love a good sale ;D

[Dr Bill]

Alliums are great. The tall ones are very spectacular, even when the flowers have passed and the seed heads tower over everything in the border. My plan is to plant clumps of them here and there in the borders and forget about them, then enjoy the surprise when they appear in the summer.

Fritilaria are super. I love the little species ones. Beware of Lily Beetle though

[4pygmies]

I love alliums too and I have all mine in plastic pots. They don't seem to mind either. I've been trawling about looking for cheaper Fritillarias - crumbs - they really are pricey...anyone got any fantastically reliable, incredibly cheap(ish) mail order suppliers they can recommend?

[Deleted]

Depends what you are looking for 4 pygmies, but I don't think my frits are all that expensive, and I am fantastically reliable. ;D
www.hiddenhousebulbs.com

[4pygmies]

Thanks Dee.I'll have a butchers and no doubt buy some!

[Auricula]

I'm planting about 70 tulips in 3ltr pots ( they rot in my soil ) tete a tete daffs and crocus in my mini orchard,and frits in my front border

[owainglyndwr]

I bought some bulbs for the 1st time ever today. All were handpicked and bought in paper bags (so any failures are my fault )

Crocus 'snowbunting' £1.20 for 20
Tulip Orange Emperor £1.50 for 10
Chionodoxa Glory of The Snow £1.00 for 25
Was this a good or bad buy??

4P ... RE: Fritillarias. I saw some today £2.50 for 10 ... is this good or bad?

[Deleted]

Depends which frits they were, there are hundreds of different species. Personally I would only recommend frits from a reliable source where they are freshly shipped as they are very prone to drying out, and then will be useless.

[owainglyndwr]

Gardening is definitely a Science

[Deleted]

i was always rubbish at science, i like to think of it as an art !

and cricketers should wear white, nuff said.

;D

[Deleted]

I'm with you all the way there.

[Deleted]

hi there

a quick question on bulbs, I am a novice at this lark, I have planted loads for spring in my boxes and in pots, just your regular stuf like snow drops and daffs.

So what happens after they have flowered?

Say I cut a load of daffs for mums day, do I just leave them? Will they flower the following year or do I have to up root them and start again?

[toonia]

Hi cg, welcome to the "other side"!

Having looked at your photos -those boxes are really neat -I can't imagine you wanting to cut your daffs and give away the flowers! Why not start some bulbs off for your mum and give them to her potted when Mother's Day comes around?
You are supposed to deadhead daffs and leave the leaves until they turn brown but it will not look very pretty in a container garden! The snowdrops will be smaller and less of a problem.
I'll leave the solution to a bulb expert - Dee perhaps.

[Deleted]

We have a fair few in pots which we can cut to give away, it is amazing what you find under the stairs.

I found an old wall paper trough, it was for water when you are using some ready pasted paper, you dipped the paper in the trough and then hung it on the walls, apparently, so i drilled that and stuck a dozen bulbs in it, yellows and white daffs.

If the rain keeps off and it stays 'bright' i will get a few more pics done once I have sorted the shelter out.

I have to do something and then ask the better half what she thinks, if she reckons it is a goer, then we both get on and do it

Anyhow, back on track, thanks for the tips, we will probable becoming back to the threads for advice when the time comes.

Pete

[Main Admin]

I planted some daffi bulbs the other day only to find this morning that they were right in the path of the mole thats been tunneling in my garden, will be damage these bulbs and will I have to replant? I've now aranged one of those sonic thingies to keep him away.

[Deleted]

I have the same problem with a bit of my lawn, they don't seem to have any effect on bulbs though, voles are another matter

[Jonah]

I finally got round to ordering some Allium 'Hair' bulbs last week, I've been curious about those for a couple of years, and the OH came home with his Playstation game, so I had a bit of an online shop! ordered some Erythroniums and Oxalis too.
I decided not to bother with any new Tulips this year. This year my spring green were disappointing, the new Rococco I planted were pretty awful to look at. I'm a bit fed up with seeing lovely pictures and the plant not measuring up. Didn't even bother to lift them. But, I was nearly tempted by some 'Marilyn' at B&Q the other day, another one I've had my eye on...........

[Tig]

I've bought a bag of 35 small allium bulbs from Wilkinsons - but there are no planting instructions on them.
The bulbs are only about half inch round, does that mean I should plant them 1 and a half inches deep - seems a bit shallow?
Any advice much appreciated as always Tig

[Rosefriend]

Oooh what a good question Tig - I always thought that one planted bulbs the same depth as the size they are - if that makes sense.

Probably why half of mine don't do very well. As you say it seems a bit shallow doesn't it.

I have some wonderful wild Tulip bulbs to plant this year - I really am looking forward to seeing them flower, even if I hate planting them.

RF

[Tig]

Hi RF - most of the instructions on bulbs I've bought suggest planting them in a hole three times the size of the bulb, and recently I saw a programme where they suggested planting tuplips 9 inches deep so that they last more than one season! I've not tried small alliums before - so I hope someone else has been successful with them and can advise me. Tig

[Weeterrier]

I have a sudden liking for tulips, after growing some 'Angelique' a couple of years ago. I grow them in the tubs I use for Fuchsias in the summer.
I have gone for the paeony-flowered ones, and the parrot-feathers. But I was also tempted by some lovely stripy ones from Lidl. Now I really have too many
Nothing new there then ;D

[Barbara]

i grew the peony ones last year they were gorgeous,
i hope they are as nice this year ( and they seemed to last ages)
my sister thought they WERE peonies

[Cheerypeabrain]

I've been planting bulbs too

Ipheion Uniflorum Rolf Fielder (12)

Blue drumstick allium (20)

Allium Aflatunense (5) bought because the name sounded a bit like 'flatulence'....snigger....

Anemone Blanda Blue (15)

Anemone Bordeaux (15)

Free daffodil bulbs from Wyvale (14) various (but all big waxy ones)

Hope that they all settle in and give us a lovely spring/early summer display.

[snowowl]

I have planted some miniture tulips in a bed around my hostas which will die back but then i will have the bulbs coming through.
They are a mixed bag of deep reds and a mixed bag of white.
I think i will have to get some more as i didnt have enough but cant wait to see them flower.
If they are anything like the picture they should be stunning.
Also planted some mix narccisi i dug up from another part of the garden.Cant remember what they look like so it will be a nice suprise when they flower.

[magrich]

4pygmies said:

I don't like to see a blank space, if I can fill it with babble, I will! What sort of bulbs is everyone planting over the next few weeks? I had a little whinge about the new PINK daffs on the beeb MB - what a daft idea - everyone knows daffs should be yellow!
I am going to try and afford fritillarias this year. I went to Sissinghurst Gardens last Spring and fell in love with them. They are SOO gorgeous. I didn't realise how expensive they are though! I've never really come across the more unusual types before. When you get close and have a peep they are the most amazing colours and patterns inside the flowers.
I have to grow all my bulbs in plastic pots sunk into the ground otherwise they get lost in the general untidyness in the garden. There is a specialist nursery just down the road from me with a sale next weekend - lovely...

I bought some snakeshead fritilarias several years ago from Wilkinsons ( they could not have been expensive or I would not have bought them) they have flowered superbly every year.,

[Chuckles]

Well I've almost planted all my Tulips, just a few left to do but have ran out of medium sized pots ;D Used my last spare one today and filled it with Paper White Daffs.

I bought some Fritilarias early on this year in small pots, they looked really healthy but when I went to plant them the bulbs had started to rot

[Ruthie]

tigridia said:

I've bought a bag of 35 small allium bulbs from Wilkinsons - but there are no planting instructions on them.
The bulbs are only about half inch round, does that mean I should plant them 1 and a half inches deep - seems a bit shallow?
Any advice much appreciated as always Tig

They may well be Allium sphaerocephalon, the flowering leek. I bought some this Autumn to supplement the ones I already have and, I can't remember what they were sold as but they didn't use the botanical name (can't blame 'em really). If so they are great, flower in July with purple ovoid heads of tiny flowers which the bees (and wasps) love.
General rule of thumb is to plant bulbs 2 1/2 times there own depth so you'd be right. NB. Tulips can and should be planted as deep as you can manage as it allegedly helps them to survive for many years (if you're just planting them as bedding to be lifted later though this is not recommended as when you try to dig them up you get the stem but no bulb!!!)

[Ruthie]

Just noticed I have been promoted again from under gardener to assistant gardener. Does my confidence no end of good! (Yes I know it's only the number of posts I've contributed, most of which are drivel, but, hey!!)

[Ladygardener]

I've never had any luck with alliums for some reason, all the ones I planted in my daughters garden have however grown well
today I've bought Chionodoxa Puschkinia Libanotica and Muscari hope I have more luck with these