Create Colour In Your Garden

by Bob Willard, general manager of www.dejager.co.uk

Using garden bulbs for colour all year round

Bulbs are the first flowers in the garden to herald that winter is over and spring is about to burst into bloom. You will of course see the first snowdrops in January, but once the daffodils start to bloom in February, you are aware that spring is definitely on its way! Carefully chosen, bulbs can keep the garden supplied with colour from January round to December.

Spring time

Here are some of the most popular bulbs to give a good showing of colour throughout the spring. Anemone tubers are great in a woodland garden because, once established, they spread rather quickly. Crocuses will readily naturalise themselves in rock gardens, borders or even lawns. One of the most impressive spring-flowering bulbs is the Fritillaria Crown Imperial, clumps will develop in good fertile soils. Tulips and daffodils give a great show throughout the spring, they are wonderful in a sunny border or planted in a lawn for naturalising. For a cool border, use Ipheion uniflorum “Wisley Blue” with wonderful single violet/blue flowers.

Summer time

This is the time of year when the Lilies are at their very best, they are available in many colours, there is a wonderful range of colours, from bright orange and reds soft whites and yellows and quite a few have wonderful scents. Alliums have become very popular with the giganteum growing up to one metre high to moly varieties only growing a few centimetres. They have very decorative seed heads.

They can become very invasive plants if they are allowed to seed. Dahlias have become very popular, they do require some staking and for the tubers to be lifted in late autumn before any frosts appear. The Arum Lily Zantadeschia Aethiopica requires a damp location to produce pure white spathes it’s renown for. Gladioli have become very popular.  They need a good feed once a year and will need to be staked. Begonias need to be planted in an area that is partially shaded and well drained. The young plants need to be staked as the larger varieties tend to become top heavy when in full bloom.

Autumn

This is the time of year when the garden starts to slow down, but there will still be quite a number of bulbs in their prime. Choose selectively in summer and plant in a suitable position, then colourful flowers can be enjoyed throughout autumn. Sternbergia lutea has bright yellow shaped flowers that will light up an autumn border. Autumn crocus with their many varieties should be at their best. Cyclamen hedarifolium Album with its ivy leaves, along with the Nerine bowdenii with their divided pink flowers are at their best when grown against a wall. The tall, Autumn Snowflake (leucojum autumnale) has white flowers, tinged pink at the base.

Winter

Helleborus Niger, the Christmas rose, comes alive as Christmas arrives giving a wonderful display of waxy flowers. The Cyclamen Coum with its dark green leaves with variable pink flowers, adds colour from January to March. Galanthus Elwesii the large flowered single snowdrop with large snowy white globular flowers flowering during January-February. Once into February the first of the daffodils start to emerge, one that deserves a place in the garden is King Alfred with its rich colour is deep golden yellow. An old timer that is very dependable.