Allium bulbs produce spectacular starburst flowers in late Spring and Summer, after the main flush of spring flowering bulbs. Planting Allium Bulbs When to Plant Alliums Autumn & early winter is peak dry bulb planting time. The ideal months for planting Alliums are from September to mid-November, but as late as the middle of December is… Continue reading How to Plant and Grow Allium Bulbs
How to Plant and Grow Daffodil Bulbs
Daffodils and narcissi are the most popular flower bulbs grown in Britain: good value, very tough, and coming in a wide range of colours, sizes, and shapes. When to Plant Daffodils Plant dry daffodil bulbs in early autumn, ideally September, and potted bulbs or bulbs in the green in early spring. How to Plant Daffodils… Continue reading How to Plant and Grow Daffodil Bulbs
Growing & Planting Tulip Bulbs Guide
Tulip bulbs bring some of the most stunning Spring colours of any plant grown in Britain. They come with a guarantee to make you smile on a sad day, or your blues back! Planting Tulips When is the Best Time to Plant Tulips? The best time for Tulip planting is when the soil has cooled, usually by late October… Continue reading Growing & Planting Tulip Bulbs Guide
How to Make a Bulb Lasagne
A bulb lasagne is a pot of flower bulbs planted in layers for successive flowering all Spring. A 30cm (12”) deep pot is best, but just remove layers if it is shallower: TRANSCRIPT Right, today we’re going to plant a bulb lasagne. So, got a tall, deep pot, and we’re going to plant the bulbs in… Continue reading How to Make a Bulb Lasagne
How to Plant Flower Bulbs at the Correct Depths
This video shows the right depths in pots or in the soil, and planting using a bulb planter tool.Read our how to plant flower bulbs article for more details. This demonstration covers daffodils, tulips, fritillarias, and Iris reticulatas, but the principles apply to all garden bulbs. Transcript: One quick video about bulb sizes and bulb depths. So, the largest bulbs, which… Continue reading How to Plant Flower Bulbs at the Correct Depths
Lifting and Storing Garden Bulbs Over Summer
Traditionally, many spring flowering bulbs, especially Tulips, were lifted (dug up) after flowering every year, stored over Summer when they are dormant, and replanted in Autumn to encourage better flowering the following year, and to protect them from pests. But that received wisdom is not always worth applying to all your bulbs: it depends what you are growing, and… Continue reading Lifting and Storing Garden Bulbs Over Summer
When do Different Bulbs Flower?
Flower bulbs give you waves of vivid blooms for almost no maintenance. With a good collection, you can have something in flower pretty much every month of the year. Bulb Flowering Times Chart We deliver 15 species of garden flower bulbs, corms, and tubers. There are many more to be found in British gardens, but these might… Continue reading When do Different Bulbs Flower?
How to Plant Flower Bulbs
Flower Bulbs are essential garden elements, providing vibrant colour through the year. With a little planning and planting, bulbs give you waves of vivid blooms for almost no maintenance. Winter has Snowdrops, Cyclamens, and Crocuses; Spring delivers Daffodils and Tulips; Summer is alive with Alliums, Lilies, and Dahlias; and Nerines and Colchicums in Autumn.Have a look at… Continue reading How to Plant Flower Bulbs
Best Flower Bulbs
Best Flower Bulbs for Sunny Locations, Dry or Drought-Prone Areas, and Rock Gardens Rockery Varieties Best Flower Bulbs for Containers Rockery Varieties Best Flower Bulbs for Cold North Scotland All Spring bulbs are hardy throughout the UK.Dahlia Tubers can be left outdoors under mulch in most areas of the UK, but may not perform as… Continue reading Best Flower Bulbs
When to Plant Flower Bulbs
Most flower bulbs are planted dry in Autumn, and some species also “in the green” in early Spring. Plant in Autumn Plant in Early Spring Plant in Summer Always try to plant bulbs as soon as possible after purchase for best results
Winter Planting Snowdrops In The Green
Snowdrops in the green are lifted while they are growing: in leaf and quite possibly in flower. This is done because, providing they are transplanted quickly, they tend to establish more readily than stored snowdrop bulbs, with some other pros and cons. How many Snowdrop bulbs do I need? Allow about 75 per square metre… Continue reading Winter Planting Snowdrops In The Green
Planting Bulbs In The Green Guide
When, How & Where to Plant ‘Bulbs in the Green’ Bluebells, Wild Daffodils, Snowdrops, and Aconites are among the few bulbs that transplant well while they are in leaf and growing: before, during or just after flowering.They are treated differently from most dry flower bulbs. which are planted while dormant in the autumn. With bulbs in the green, the active, flowering bulbs are… Continue reading Planting Bulbs In The Green Guide
Dividing Herbaceous Perennials
Digging up and dividing most summer-flowering herbaceous perennials is an excellent way to perk them up when they’re looking tired, giving you free plants in the bargain. Some perennials are either not suitable for division, or else seed so readily that there is no point, so research each plant first. You will need a fork, spade, maybe… Continue reading Dividing Herbaceous Perennials
Sweet Pea Cultivation Guide
Sweet peas, Lathyrus odoratus, are one of the most popular annuals thanks to their strong scent and how easy they are to grow. Unlike most bedding plants, they are climbers and so need support to grow on. They are a staple of beds of flowers for cutting, and informal cottage garden designs. Growing Sweet Peas… Continue reading Sweet Pea Cultivation Guide
How to Plant Sweet Pea Plugs
Planting sweet pea plugs is easy, all you need is some nice rich soil, a sunny spot, something for them to grow up. Plant them a centimetre or two deep, so that the soil just covers the base of the stem, which will set root and give you a stronger, more stable plant. You will… Continue reading How to Plant Sweet Pea Plugs
Receiving your Dahlia Tubers
Dahlia tubers are like people: they come in a wide range of sizes, from small, narrow, slightly wrinkled ones, to big, round, plump ones.It can be a shock for new Dahlia growers to compare two varieties: the smaller one looks like a reject compared to the bigger one!However, this range of sizes is completely normal, and in… Continue reading Receiving your Dahlia Tubers
How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter
Once Dahlia leaves are blackened by the frost, it’s a common practice to dig them up and prepare for storage over the winter How to Lift Dahlia Tubers from the Soil To lift Dahlia tubers before storing them overwinter, you need a garden fork, some pots or crates for storage in a cool, dry place, and something to… Continue reading How to Dig Up & Store Dahlia Tubers Overwinter
How To Start Dahlia Tubers In Spring
We deliver Dahlia Tubers from late February, which is much too early to plant them outside. So, you can start them off in pots in a frost free place while you wait for the weather to warm up. Dahlia tubers are tender, and planting them out into cold soil at best sets them back (makes… Continue reading How To Start Dahlia Tubers In Spring
How to Cut Back Lavender Hard In Late Summer / Early Autumn
August or September is the best time to hard prune Lavender for great flowers the following year Late August is the absolute best time to prune your Lavender plants, when the final flush of flowers has died down.September is also fine, but it’s best not to leave it later, or you will get sparser flowers… Continue reading How to Cut Back Lavender Hard In Late Summer / Early Autumn
Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?
Lavender should be pruned hard every year to keep it dense, bushy, and covered in flowers during Summer It’s not good to prune your Lavender plants in late Autumn / Winter when it’s not in growth, and if you prune it in Summer you will remove all the flowers, so that leaves either Spring, or late-Summer… Continue reading Should I Cut Lavender In Spring Or Autumn?
How to Grow Lavender
How to Grow Lavender Lavender loves sun and poor dry soils, ideal for the coast or beside warm South facing walls. Which variety should I choose? In the sunnier South, all varieties will be fine outdoors, in suitably well drained soil and sunny aspect. In colder regions, the issue is longevity. Which size should I buy? The… Continue reading How to Grow Lavender
Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs
January Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other February Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Bulbs Olive and Bay Nature Other March Hedging Fruit Trees Garden Trees Roses Soft Fruit Climbers Lavender Bulbs Olive and Bay Herbs and Veg Borders and Flowers Other April… Continue reading Year Round Guide To Essential Garden Jobs
How to Scarify Your Lawn
Scarifying Your Lawn is Easy With a Springy Garden Rake Lawn scarification in the UK is done in Autumn or Spring, every two to three years, to get rid of thatch, which is a build up of living roots, the woodiest parts of dead grass, and living moss piled up on top of the soil.… Continue reading How to Scarify Your Lawn
How To Make Leaf Mould
What is Leaf Mould? Raking up leaves is part of a gardener’s life. The best way to make use of all those leaves is to keep them as mulch, compost, or leaf mould: that crumbly, airy, free draining stuff that improves soil, and makes a superb potting medium for seeds and cuttings. Which Leaves Should… Continue reading How To Make Leaf Mould
How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots
Wrap up outdoor potted plants to protect them from frost for Winter When Winter frosts are on their way, sensitive plants that aren’t practical to move into shelter should be wrapped up to protect them from the freezing weather. This is most important for tender plants, but even relatively hardy bay leaf trees can still… Continue reading How To Use Horticultural Fleece on Pots
How to Aerate Your Lawn With A Garden Fork
Using a trusty garden fork to aerate your lawn is suitable for most gardens. It’s a nice, gentle workout that you can spread over a couple of weeks, and it leaves no mess of soil plugs like an aerator.If you have a huge lawn, then it makes sense to invest in an aeration machine, or… Continue reading How to Aerate Your Lawn With A Garden Fork
The Best Trees Suitable for Heavy Clay Soils
Most trees are happy growing in heavy clay soil, as long as it does not get waterlogged in Winter Clay soil is fertile soil, the problem is that low-lying sites tend to trap water in winter, and exposed clay bakes hard in Summer. Most trees grown in the UK will thrive in clay where: So… Continue reading The Best Trees Suitable for Heavy Clay Soils
Best Plants for a Small Garden Wildlife Hedge
A good hedge is an invaluable addition to any garden. It delineates and disguises boundaries, providing privacy for humans and habitats for wildlife, with nest sites for birds and foliage, blossom, nuts, and fruits to eat. The leaf litter at the base of a mature hedge is perfect for hibernating creatures, especially reptiles and amphibians,… Continue reading Best Plants for a Small Garden Wildlife Hedge
Game of Thrones Trees Take Their Final Bow
Winter has come for four of the famous Dark Hedges beech trees, and there was no King’s Landing for them Game of Thrones was a TV show that ran between 2011–2019, famous for its strong starting season, the death of Ned Stark (played by Sean Bean, England’s greatest living Sheffield United supporter), an increasingly tiresome… Continue reading Game of Thrones Trees Take Their Final Bow
Darnley Sycamore Gets a Storm Eowyn Haircut
It’s been a wee bit of a trying day for Glasgow’s famous Darnley Sycamore, which got pollarded by 100mph winds The sycamore tree, thought to be at least 450 years old, is a historic landmark connected to Mary Queen of Scots and her ill-fated cousin-husband, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley. 450 plus years is a decent… Continue reading Darnley Sycamore Gets a Storm Eowyn Haircut