Planting bulbs in winter for vibrant spring gardens

Planting bulbs in your winter garden can lead to a landscape full of amazing aesthetics and vibrant colours by the Spring. A trip to the local nursery can do your garden wonders.

Spring planting bulbs may appear all dull and lifeless in their dormant form, but planting bulbs are like ticking time bombs ready to explode into life.

What’s in a plant bulb?

The numerous layers that make up a plant bulb are actually storage tissues. Depending on the type of spring bulb, these tissues contain compounds such as protein, starch and sugar for energy, which are triggered when the soil reaches a certain temperature.

For this reason, planting bulbs works best when planted at least several months before they are expected to bloom. They lie dormant in the soil until their growing season comes upon them, at which time they send shoots up through the soil, reaching for the open air and sunlight.

When should I be planting bulbs?

Most spring bulbs planted in late autumn and early winter will flower in spring and summer. The types of bulbs that will best suit your garden will depend on the climate you live in, but there are many that work in much of the country.

Some flower bulbs that should be planted in early winter to bloom in late spring and summer include Agapanthus, with its tall stems and blue or white flower clusters; Arum Lily (also called Lily of the Nile), whose flowers incorporate a dainty white outer layer curled around an inner spear of yellow; Dicentra Bleeding Heart, with its fernlike leaves and tubular hanging pink flowers; Polygonatum Solomons Seal, which also has beautiful hanging flowers, but is better known for its lovely arching stems and foliage; and any number of Liliums.

How should I maintain the bulbs?

Spring planting bulbs prefer well-drained soil with a healthy amount of organic matter. Some like direct sunlight, while others prefer light shade. Planting bulbs to the right depth varies slightly from bulb to bulb, but a good general rule is to bury them to twice their width below the soil surface.

Small amounts of liquid fertiliser can be used just as flower buds appear, to give them a boost.

What’s the best way of planting bulbs?

Plant your flowering bulbs several centimetres apart, preferably with other bulb varieties that will flower at different times of the year. Bulb plants often look best when gathered together, so plant them in drifts.

When a spring bulb's growing time is finished, the plant withers, but in many cases doesn't die. For instance, in the case of perennial bulbs, the plant returns its energy to the bulb below, ready to grow again the next season.

Allow the plant to complete this process, leave the bulbs where they are, and prepare for next spring or summer when they will strut their stuff again.

Contact a nursery in your area and start planting bulbs for your spring garden: