Hints, tips and answers

We've put together a few simple tips and tricks that show how you can get more out of your flower bulbs.

What is the best way to plant my bulbs?

There are many easy ways to plant bulbs, depending on the type of bulb or the effects you are looking for. Use a trowel or a bulb planter for planting individually or in small groups - you can see bulb planters in our special offers section. If you prefer, the handles from broken garden forks or spades can be kept and transformed into ideal bulb dibbers.

Mass or ‘carpet' planting can be achieved by digging trenches, while smaller bulbs such as crocus can be planted among grass by simply lifting the turf and laying it back over the scattered bulbs. 

How deep and far apart should I plant my bulbs?

A general rule of thumb is to plant at least 2-3 times the depth of the bulb, with the roots or base plate facing downwards.

The distance between the bulbs depends on the size of the flower, but they should really be far enough apart so that they’re not touching. You can achieve a more natural effect from scattering by hand and planting where the bulbs land – we think that this is ideal for our crocus, daffodils and specie tulips. If you are unsure how many bulbs are needed to fill a square metre, refer to our planting guide.

What if I can’t plant my bulbs immediately?

If you can’t plant them straight away, then most bulbs will keep for several weeks. Unpack the boxes, open any paper bags and provide them with some good air circulation. We think that a cool garage or garden shed is ideal to store any unplanted bulbs. Don’t hang about too long though - once a planting season has been missed, your bulbs won’t keep for the next season!

Will the bulbs need to be fed to encourage flowering?

No, not in the first year. A bulb holds inside all the food reserves it needs to come into flower. Any bulbs you wish to keep after flowering will benefit from a top dressing of bone meal or any slow-acting fertiliser. Despite what you’ve heard, don’t cut back of tie up the dying foliage as all the goodness will need to go back into the bulb.

The exception here are the bare-rooted plants we supply: plants like Eremurus, Agapanthus or Dicentra would flower better after a small feeding as they are not bulbs and therefore do not hold the same food reserves.

Why have my tulips not grown very well in their second year?

Many people treat tulips as they would annuals by lifting and disposing of them after flowering. If you want to keep the bulbs for replanting next season, deadhead them and feed after flowering, then lift once the stems have died right down. Discard the smaller 'bulbils’ and store somewhere dry and airy, so you can replant the larger ones in the autumn.

How do I protect my bulbs from rodents?

Only a handful of bulbs attract squirrels and mice, particularly crocus and sometimes tulips. Electronic devices, inaudible to humans and pets can now be bought very cheaply and are very effective. Alternatively, wire mesh placed over the bulbs will stop any digging but still allow shoots to come through.

Can I plant bulbs in my lawn?

Some bulbs look wonderful planted in a lawn, particularly crocus, snowdrops and miniature daffodils. This is simple to do, either by using a bulb dibber and dropping the bulbs in individually or by lifting sections of turf and lying back over the bulbs. Bulbs can also be scattered on prepared ground before laying new turf – but be sure to check the right bulbs are in season when planning!

Should I cut back the foliage once they’ve flowered?

It is important that the foliage of your chosen bulbs has died right back before mowing because the goodness has to return to the bulb to ensure good growth the next year. This is rarely a problem for early blooms, though. They have usually died back before the grass needs its first cut of the year.

What is Bulb Fibre and where can I get it?

Bulb Fibre is traditionally made up from peat, lime, crushed shell and charcoal. It can be bought from most garden centres but it isn’t strictly necessary when potting up bulbs. Just an ordinary potting compost mixed with sharp sand to aid drainage will be fine. Be sure to add some broken crock to the bottom of the pot, which will prevent your bulbs becoming waterlogged.

What do you mean by ‘naturalising’ bulbs?

‘Naturalising’ simply means planting to achieve a natural effect. Many of our bulbs will bloom year after year, increasing in numbers and vigour as time goes by. Looking through our range of flower bulbs you’ll see a great many varieties that wouldn’t look out of place in a meadow, woodland, grass verges or even riverbanks – why not try naturalising an area of your garden to get the effect?

When will my order be delivered?

Our main autumn season begins in late July/early August. We spend this time bringing in and preparing our stocks from Holland and our local bulb fields before starting to dispatch orders from the first week in September.

During our busiest period we aim to supply orders within a maximum of 21 days. You’ll actually find that your orders is usually supplied much faster than this, particularly once the bulb season is in full swing. Once your order has been sent out, we’ll send you an email to let you know it’s coming.

Can I have my order sent to another address?

Yes. When you reach our online checkout you can fill out our ‘second address’ box – it’s really handy for when you want your bulbs to be delivered to work, or to a friend’s house. At the checkout there’s also another box where you can give us specific delivery instructions. Perhaps you’d prefer your bulbs left in the porch, or in your garage, or your house is difficult to find – just let us know and we’ll get your bulbs where you want them to be.

Can I have bulbs delivered to the Highlands and Islands of the UK?

We can deliver to addresses off the U.K. mainland, such as the Channel Isles, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly, Shetland, Orkney, Western Isles and Northern Ireland – but it may cost a little bit more. If you get in touch and tell us exactly where you want your bulbs to go, we’ll give you a price straight away. We’re not able to deliver abroad at the moment, but anywhere inside the UK will be fine!