Time to order beautiful bulbs for spring

September is a great time to look at new bulbs for spring for a beautiful display.

So, once you have your bulbs, late September and October is a fantastic time to plant them.

Primarily, this is the time for planting daffodils, Iris reticulata, crocus, allium and hyacinth bulbs.

All of these bulbs for spring prefer to be planted out when the weather is not too cold, so they can start establishing themselves and growing some roots before winter.

However, tulips need to be planted in November for the best chance to avoid the dreaded fungal disease, tulip fire.

I have compiled a few of the bulbs that I plant for a beautiful spring display in this post.

Looking forward to a spring full of colour is such a boost to our wellbeing.

Also, an important source of pollen and nectar for emerging pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

I have added links for options where I purchase my spring bulbs, if you would like to check out some bulbs for the spring.

Starting off with some cheery daffodils.

Daffodil bulbs for spring

Daffodils or Narcissus come in a wide range of colours and shapes and are a classic sight in the spring.

Firstly, they bring us some bright and cheerful colour, after what is often a dark and gloomy winter.

Secondly, there are varieties to suit everyone, in white, pink, and orange as well as the classic pale and bright yellows.

In addition, there are short varieties which are suitable for pots, window boxes and lawns. Probably the most popular dwarf variety is Tete a Tete, a yellow variety.

Other dwarf daffodils are the fragrant Minnow, pictured above, Thalia, a pure white, and Jet Fire, which is a deep gold with an orange trumpet.

Besides the dwarf varieties, there are taller varieties, with single and double flowers. I bought some double flowered Sir Winston Churchill last year, a lovely white with a dappled pale orange centre.

Altruist is another new daffodil for me last year. An unusual, distinctive daffodil with a brilliant colour. Each flower produces a small shallow dark orange-red cup surrounded by apricot yellow overlapping petals.

A third new variety, a beautiful gift from my dear friend the Cosmos Queen, was Pipit. Pipit has lemon yellow petals with a creamy white cup and is sweetly fragranced too. A beautiful daffodil, gracing my garden with some gentle colour for spring.

I have added links below for suppliers I use for purchasing daffodil bulbs.

Click here for Sarah Raven daffodils

Click here for J Parkers daffodil options

Iris Reticulata bulbs for spring

Next, we have one of my favourite spring flowers. Iris Reticulata is not only a colourful addition to garden borders and pots, it is an early flowerer too.

Often in flower in late winter into early spring and bringing some beautiful bright colours early in the year.

In addition, the bees visit these pretty flowers for an early supply of nectar, so they are fabulous for helping our wildlife too.

Primarily blue or purple, though there are some pale blue and yellow varieties available.

I love the purple and blue, and one of my favourites is Pixie, seen above.

Other varieties I grow include, Harmony, a blue and yellow, and Pauline, a deep purple with white blotches.

All varieties are dwarf irises and are perfect for pots, window boxes and the front of flower borders.

I thoroughly recommend these beautiful flowers and add to my own collection every year.

I have added a link below for the supplier I use for purchasing iris reticulata bulbs.

Click here for J Parkers iris reticulata options

Crocus for the bees

Next, we have the lovely crocus. Surely one of the best flowers for spring. In addition, they are a fantastic source of pollen and nectar for the earliest bees.

The photo above was taken in February and shows a bee waking up after a night in a crocus flower named Ruby Giant. Each bloom closes overnight and opens again in the mornings. Clearly a snug place for a snooze and a pollen and nectar breakfast bar ready and waiting for eager diners.

Available in a variety of colours such as purple, white, yellow and orange. I have always planted the purple varieties but recently have added some orange for a zingy display in my garden and pots.

As a result of planting bulbs and leaving them undisturbed, they have multiplied every year in my garden to add to the new varieties I choose each autumn.

Another fabulous bulb for pots, window boxes, fronts of borders or lawns.

I have added a link below for the supplier I use for purchasing crocus bulbs.

Click here for J Parker crocus options

Time for tulip bulbs for spring

Tulips are another firm favourite for spring displays. Available in a vast array of colours and shapes, they have glamour, flamboyance and a wow factor that is hard to match. Tulips are often thought of as the bulbs for spring.

Because there are early varieties and late, you can have tulips in flower from late March until the end of May.

Whether you like the singles, the doubles, the lily-flowered, the parrots, the fringed or the dwarf varieties, there are plenty of choices.

After being a lover of the dark tulips, such as Ronaldo, Queen of Night and Black Hero, I added some bright and zingy varieties last year.

The photo above shows one of my new displays, featuring the dark Ronaldo, Queen of Night and Havran with some bright orange varieties.

Lily-flowered and scented Ballerina joins Orca and Jimmy for the orange contingent, plus Slawa, a fabulous crimson and apricot tulip. A tulip display that made me swoon.

See below for my most recent tulip post with a few varieties I planted for spring this year, and tips on planting your new tulip bulbs.

Time to choose beautiful tulips for spring

I have added links below for suppliers I use for purchasing tulip bulbs.

Click here for Sarah Raven tulips

Click here for J Parkers tulips

Alliums for the spring

Next, we have the alliums. A fabulous bulb for Spring colour in the garden borders and in pots.

Additionally, the alliums are a magnet for bees and other pollinators. Available in purple, violet, white, pink and yellow, there is a colour range for everyone.

Once planted in autumn, they can be left to grow away merrily to pop up in the spring.

Flowering in late spring, they are an ideal flower for the gap between spring and summer. However, the allium variety Sphaerocephalon is later to bloom and arrives in July and August.

Sphaerocephalon is one of my favourites and I thoroughly recommend this one for the pollinators too. Almost every photo I have of this allium has a number of bees latched on to each flower. A fabulous and heartwarming sight to see.

For more information on alliums and some fabulous varieties, see my recent post below

Wonderful alliums for beauty and the bees

I have added links below for suppliers I use for purchasing allium bulbs

Click here for Thompson and Morgan allium options

And Click here for Sarah Raven allium options

And Click here for J Parkers alliums options

Sweet hyacinths

Finally, we have the fabulously fragrant hyacinths.

To begin with, we normally buy the prepared bulbs for planting indoors for flowers from Christmas onwards.

However, once they have finished flowering, I think it is best to plant them out in the garden. The Delft Blue above have been in my garden for two years and give me a lovely display each spring.

As a result, I have some super fragrance in the garden borders too.

Another nectar rich flower for the pollinators too, so great for the early bees.

I have added a link below for the supplier I use for purchasing hyacinth bulbs

Click here for J Parkers hyacinth options

Planting out your bulbs for spring

As mentioned above, late September and October is a fantastic time to plant all your bulbs for spring except the tulips. Plant the tulips in November onwards.

I plant my bulbs in groups of at least ten, as the more bulbs that are grouped together, the better the display.

Firstly, find a spot for your bulbs, sunny if possible, and then get your dibber out or a spade. Planting holes need to be two or three times the depth of the bulb.

Next, it is time to space the bulbs. Space them at least twice the bulb’s width.

Next, place the bulbs in the holes, pointy end upwards and cover over. I would mark the area so that you do not disturb the bulbs when looking for a space to plant something else.

If you are planting in pots, I plant at one bulb width apart and water if the compost becomes too dry. Each pot needs to have good drainage as bulbs hate sitting in water, so add some crocks over the drainage holes to allow water to drain. Alternatively, place your pots on pot feet or a few stones to raise the container off the ground slightly.

Finally, wait for a spectacular spring show full of colour and some early nectar for our all important pollinators.

I have added links below if you would like to browse for all the bulbs for spring options for each supplier I use, and have been using for many years.

Click here for Thompson and Morgan spring bulbs

Click here for Sarah Raven spring bulb options

Click here for J Parker spring bulbs

I hope you have enjoyed this post with my ideas for a spring bulb display.

I am an affiliate for Sarah Raven, J Parker and Thompson and Morgan, so if you click on one of the links in this post, and make a purchase I may receive a commission, at no additional cost to you.

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