Bulbs for the Garden

If you are looking for variety and quality, you just can'y go past buying your garden bulbs online from the experts. Planted at the right time bulbs can transform a garden into a mass of color and buying online allows you to get them at the rigth time of the year.

Bulbs are wonderful in so many garden situations, and the UK has some of the very best specialist bulb nurseries and growers in the world. These specialist growers now offering a huge range of Garden Bulbs, literally 100s of varieties are readily available for sale from mail order and online bulb catalogues, now is the time to explore the world of bulb nurseries.

How to plant bulbs

The old rule of planting bulbs pointy end up at 3 - 4 times as deep as the bulb is high is OK for many bulbs in normal conditions. However some garden bulbs are planted with the neck above ground level, including many of the South African bulbs. Others really benefit from being planted deeper. You will find that many bulbs planted following the old rule will 'pull themselves deeper', so observe the depth when you dig or repot for a better indication.

Where to plant bulbs

Nearly all bulbs can be planted in a number of ways

• In the garden border
  
• Naturalized into lawns
  
• In containers or pots

Planting bulbs in the garden border is fairly simple, make sure that drainage is good. Choose a sunny position and plant at the appropriate depth.

Bulbs to be naturalized into lawns are best if they are the spring flowering types. This means that they will flower before the lawn commences active growth and requires mowing. Simply lift a section of lawn and loosen the soil beneath, adding compost if required. The bulbs are then planted and the sod that was lifted is loosened a little and then replaced.

In containers it is best to use a large pot and a good number of bulbs, this provides a good display and a large pot remains cooler in summer than a small one.

Exceptions to the rules

• Hippeastums for example can look great planted individually.
  
• Arisaema grow well in dappled shade as do anemones including anemone nemorosa.
  
• Cyclamen are seen as shade loving garden bulbs, however a few species prefer warm sunny positions
  
• Some Iris like full sun, however I ris reticulata and histriodes grow best in full sun up until when they flower, to make the flowers last a little longer they need shade once the flowers appear.
  
• Tulips need to be lifted in winter, although the species tulips can survive the winter in the ground if drainage is good.

So when you are looking for garden bulbs, buy from a grower who can provide species specific growing notes as well as good quality bulbs.

Garden or flowering bulbs for sale include much sought after spring flowering bulbs. Catalogues are usually released twice a year in spring and again in autumn with different species of bulbs available at different times of the year. Bulbs in the Green are supplied in early spring and need to planted immediately after purchase. Many unusual and rare bulbs are available for sale on line in the UK.

Should you buy from nurseries or is it OK to buy from big stores ? We would go for buying from the specialist bulb nursery every time, after all they do grow them......

Specialist Bulb Nurseries in the UK

MINIATURE BULBS & WILDFLOWER BULBS - Phone/Fax: 01423 542819
9 Greengate Drive, Knaresborough, HG5 9EN
Dwarf growing flower bulbs by mail order - daffodils, tulips, crocus, iris, fritillaria, muscari, erythroniums, wildflower & alpine bulbs for garden
www.miniaturebulbs.co.uk

PRIME PERENNIALS NURSERY - Phone: 01974 241505
Llety Moel Rhos-y-garth, Llanilar, Aberystwyth Ceredigion SY23 4SG
Specialist mail-order nursery. Unusual perennials, bulbs and grasses. Special emphasis on the conservation & promotion of South African Tulbaghia
www.prime-perennials.co.uk

BROADLEIGH GARDENS - Phone: 01823 286231 Fax:01823 323646
Bishops Hull Taunton TA4 1AE
Mail order bulb specialists Tulips, Crocus, Narcissus, Iris, Colchicum, Lilium, Scilla and many more.......
www.broadleighbulbs

GARDENSbyPOST.COM
PO Box 291 Hereford, HR1 9BR
Gardenbypost offers a wide range of Bulbs for Spring, Summer and Autumn Flowering in addition to a variety of choice perennials, and a selection of Seeds and Gardening goodies. Specialties include, Perennial Sunflower (Helianthus), Prairie Plants, and Spring Bulbs.

CHAPELGATE BULBS
6 Chapelgate, Sutton St. James, Spalding, Lincolnshire. PE12 0EE
email:info@chapelgatebulbs.co.uk
Family owned mail order business specialising in the supply of native, woodland and naturalising bulbs. Including Snowdrops, English Bluebells, Snowflakes, Wood anemone, Alliums, Wild Tulips

COBLANDS BEST4PLANTS NURSERIES - phone: 01732 350 517
Trench Road Tonbridge Kent TN11 9NG
UK gardening website specialising in garden plants, shrubs, herbaceous, Bamboo, Ferns, Hedging, Climbers, Bulbs & grasses. Experts since 1963.

BALI-HAI MAIL ORDER NURSERY- phone: 00442828885289
42, Largy Road city: Carnlough, Ballymena Co.Antrim BT44 0EZ
Hosta specialist with over 1100+ varieties for sale. 100 Agapanthus varieties, 25 Phormium varieties, 80 Crocosmia varieties, 42 Rhodohypoxis varieties, plus Trilliums and many more cottage garden perennials shipping worldwide.