London Cottage Garden

Blogging about cottage garden style in a town garden

  • Subscribe to London Cottage Garden

    • Home
    • About
    • Spring gardening
    • Summer gardening
    • Autumn gardening
    • Winter gardening
    • Tips/Inspiration

    Planting bulbs for next spring


    September 30th, 2016 - Autumn cottage garden, Pots and containers

    Share this post:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Email

    Planting bulbs now for flowering next Spring is such a joy and a landmark in our gardening year. I tuck them in the soil thinking “see you next year”, planting daffodils, alliums and tulips.

    How do spring bulbs fit into a cottage garden style?

    Well, one thing they do is give a colourful start to the year, with snowdrops letting us know that growth is on the move and then scilla, anemones, crocus, iris, hyacinth and narcissi. As they can be tucked in tiny spaces and under perennials to appear here, there and everywhere, they work well in the jumbled planting.

    spring bulbs

    Waiting for spring to arrive

    Planting daffodils for spring

    Personally I don’t plant crocus (birds eat the flowers) or hyacinths, but I use daffodils a lot and leave them in to increase and come up every year. I can’t resist buying more every autumn though, and always find room for more. A small hole the size of my hand can take 3 or 5 bulbs, enough to make a small splash of colour.

    I’ve decided over the years that I want the colour of daffodils in February and March but that by April I don’t need them because so much else is growing. So now I don’t plant the late varieties.

    In April and May my colour comes from tulips and then alliums. I’ll talk about tulips next time, but in the meantime here’s my tulip splash earlier this year.

    spring bulbs in pots

    I was thrilled with the show of tulips this year

    Bulbs are so easy to buy online nowadays and some of my favourite websites are gee-tee.co.uk

    blomsbulbs.com

    and bulbs.co.uk

     

    spring bulbs in pots

    A great show of tulips

    I recently wrote more about lessons I’ve learned from growing tulips in pots and you can read about that here

    Thanks for reading and if you would like my monthly blogs to pop into your inbox, please leave your email in the box above.

    Share this post:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Email

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    35 + = 39

    London Cottage Garden
  • Subscribe to London Cottage Garden


  • Popular Posts

    Real flowers and artificial flowers – both fabulous

    I've recently discovered some online artificial flowers from Alex James that I think are beautiful and look wonderful either on their own or mixed with…


    How to introduce a new colour in a cottage garden

    A new colour in early Spring Here's a way to introduce a new colour in a cottage garden in early Spring. Plants can't always provide…


    How to use colour in the cottage garden style

    How to have colour in the cottage garden style town garden without it being too much work for one person to manage.  Well I would…


    Daffodils in a small garden – tips on how to grow them.

    If you have a small garden like a town garden and want to grow daffodils, here are my tips on how best to do it,…


    front gardens cottage gardening town garden

    Gardening begins at 40 – I’m 67 now

    Gardening? one big yawn I had no interest in gardening even though my grandmother was a farmer's wife and my mother loved her big shrubby…




    londoncottagegarden

    Perennial Strawberry foxgloves are taller than me. Perennial Strawberry foxgloves are taller than me.  Apricot/pink/cream coloured. Bee magnets.  #londoncottagegarden #foxgloves #cottagegardenplants
    Splitting a hardy geranium from pic 1 to 2. So ea Splitting a hardy geranium from pic 1 to 2.  So easy.  Now is the time to do it #londoncottagegarden #hardygeraniums #cottagegarden
    Little posy from the garden picked for a friend. I Little posy from the garden picked for a friend. It may not last long but it’s lovely anyway. #londoncottagegarden #springflowers
    Good morning beautiful lady #foxes #londoncottageg Good morning beautiful lady #foxes #londoncottagegarden
    Tottering-by-gently, my first rose to come out. Ju Tottering-by-gently, my first rose to come out. Just how I feel today. #londoncottagegarden #davidaustinroses
    A new blog about the beautiful garden at Dedham Ha A new blog about the beautiful garden at Dedham Hall Hotel - see link in bio #londoncottagegarden #cottaegarden #hotel
    Mariette tulip after the rain - still looking love Mariette tulip after the rain - still looking lovely #londoncottagegarden #tulips #springbulbs
    Some tulips fall open and others curl up in the ra Some tulips fall open and others curl up in the rain. Unknown pale tulip and lily flowered Mariette.
    Up for World Dawn Chorus day. Coat on. Pot of tea. Up for World Dawn Chorus day. Coat on. Pot of tea.  Just wonderful. #dawnchorus #londoncottagegarden #citygarden #birdsong
    Ballerina in the middle of two Brown Sugar. Shows Ballerina in the middle of two Brown Sugar. Shows the difference. I prefer Ballerina - brighter and clearer #tulips #londoncottagegarden #springbulbs #orangetulips
    My tulips sit with the eggs and tangerines #tulips My tulips sit with the eggs and tangerines #tulips #vintagevase #londoncottagegarden
    Same variety but different colours - no idea what Same variety but different colours - no idea what variety. Don’t recall ordering anything this colour! #tulips #londoncottagegarden #vintagevase #springbulbs
    Amongst my Ballerina tulips someone is wearing a p Amongst my Ballerina tulips someone is wearing a pink tutu!
    First pic in the garden, second in a vase. What a First pic in the garden, second in a vase. What a difference! #tulips #londoncottagegarden #springbulbs
    Dordogne tulip I think, in an antique vase. Grown Dordogne tulip I think, in an antique vase. Grown in a pot and I can pick two or three for a vase. #tulips #londoncottagegarden #vintagevase #springbulbs
    A parrot tulip called Amazing Parrot, lasting a fe A parrot tulip called Amazing Parrot, lasting a few days in a vase.  It wouldn’t last long in a windy garden. Fun but I won’t be buying parrot tulips any more - just not enough value from them - too fleeting. #londoncottagegarden #tulips
    Breakfast queue waiting patiently #feralcat #foxy Breakfast queue waiting patiently #feralcat #foxy #urbanfox #londoncottagegarden
    Glad that the fox I treated for mange with liquid Glad that the fox I treated for mange with liquid from the vet seems healthy and not worse so 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞
    Re-dug the pond. Took from Saturday morning to Sun Re-dug the pond. Took from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. Gosh I really got on with it! #londoncottagegarden #wildlifepond #gardenpond #newts
    Operation revamp pond. Exciting. Will give it a lo Operation revamp pond. Exciting. Will give it a lot of thought this time #londoncottagegarden #wildlifepond
    Load More… Follow on Instagram

    UK Gardening Blogs

    © 2022 London Cottage Garden - The London Cottage Garden Blog

    Website Design www.beamtwenty3.co.uk

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.