Hannah (Perrywood Director) and Cheryl (Plant Area Expert) have some top tips on choosing and planting your Spring bulbs.

Plant the right bulbs in the right place

• Clay: Tulip, Cyclamen, Muscari, Fritillaries, Hyacinth, Galanthus

• Coastal or Alpine: Crocus, Snowdrops, Chionodoxa, Muscari, Anemone, Scill

• Woodland: Anemone Numerosa, Erythronium, Cardydalis, Ornithnogalum, Scilla, Minature Narcissus

• Beds: Fritillaries, Alliums, Crocus, Hyacinth, Muscari, Iris, Chionodoxa, Cyclamen Coum

• Shade: Galanthus, Muscari, Lily of the Valley, Anemone Blanda, Erythronium

• Lawn: cut into the grass and fold the turf back to allow the bulbs to be planted into the soil underneath. The bulbs will then shoot through the grass, giving you a wonderful display.

• Pots: planting in pots is good for two reasons. Firstly, you can see where they look good and then plant them into the flower beds for the following year. Secondly, you can have pots near the house for some much-needed colour on dreary days.

Pots of tulips and daffodils outside Hannah’s back door (left)

A lily-shaped yellow tulip, with the acid green heads of euphorbia in the background (right).

Combinations – mix with other plants

Bulbs can look fantastic combined with spring flowering bedding. Daffodils and Tulips, in particular, look great mixed with pansies and violas, ivy, thyme, and other foliage bedding.

Narcissus Thalia (left)

Tulip Fire Wings looking good with orange geum and wallflowers (right)

Combinations of bulbs

Choose one to three types of bulbs to create a cohesive display. You could opt for contrasting colours to make a bold statement, or select different flower shapes in the same colour palette for a more elegant look. Repeating the same bulbs in containers or throughout your borders will create greater impact and tie your garden together.

For example, Cheryl loves combining shades of blue, pink and purple, while Hannah's favourite colour pairing is vibrant orange and rich purple.

Alliums, with French lavender and orange geum behind.

Shopping for bulbs

We source most of our bulbs from two trusted family businesses, Taylors and Prinz, who have supplied Perrywood with bulbs for decades!

Take time to look at the flowering times so that you have flowers from February through to May. You’ll also find planting depths on the packets, which will help you when you return home. And flowering height is worth paying attention to. Think about what the bulbs will be next to when they flower, and make sure they will stand proud!

Planting for pollinators

Spring bulbs are a wonderful choice for supporting bees and butterflies. Early-flowering varieties, such as crocuses and irises, provide a vital source of nectar and pollen when few other flowers are in bloom, helping pollinators get the season off to a great start.

Bumble bee enjoying a tulip (left)

Rose Chafer Beetle on Eremurus (right)

Compost

For the best results when planting bulbs in containers, use a specialist bulb planting and potting compost or a seed and cutting mix. Westland Bulb Planting & Potting Mix has been specially formulated to encourage strong, healthy bulb growth. It contains added grit to improve drainage, along with the right balance of nutrients to help bulbs thrive.

Good drainage is essential, as bulbs don't like sitting in wet soil. If you're planting in heavy or waterlogged ground, mix horticultural grit into the soil before planting to improve drainage and help prevent bulbs from rotting.

Bulb lasagna

By layering bulbs that flower at different times in containers, you can create a display that will continue all season long. Choose bulbs of different heights for maximum effect.

Read our ‘How to‘ guide for a step by step guide on planting your own.

Photo by GAP Photos

Alliums

Alliums are Hannah’s absolute favourite bulb of all time! She has many different varieties in her garden. Once they have finished and their seedheads appear, she likes to bring them indoors in a vase.

Bumble bee enjoying an Allium (left)

Hannah found an amazing Allium display at the Arboretum Garden Centre near Dublin (right).

Saffron

Did you know? You can grow your own Saffron (yes, the expensive spice!)

Plant Crocus Sativus, the 3 long red stigmas are the source of Saffron.