The Cutting Garden : Planting Spring Bulbs.

There is a tremendous sense of satisfaction when Planting Spring Bulbs. The promise of colour, light and warmth at the end of a long dark winter is motivation enough to spend muddy days out in the cutting beds.

As a flower grower late autumn can get me in a spin. Time travelling between next years crops and what needs to be done now to get a good start on the year ahead. Tasks have been broken down and assigned based on the weather and weddings. On any non rainy day armed with bags of bulbs and a notebook, weddings planting took priority followed by the tulip crop. I’m happy to say over 2000 bulbs have found their spots in the beds with a few promising muscari shoots already popping up as a reward.

If you haven’t planted spring bulbs its not too late at all, there is still a bag of daffodils hanging about my hallway. If you are new to gardening, planting spring bulbs is a great way to get comfortable with your space, do a bit of weeding and get you on your way to growing cut flowers.

I’ve listed some of my favourites below and take a look at my trip to Kuenkenhof Gardens for some super spring bulb inspiration.

Daffodils/Narcissus – Plant in clumps and they will come back every year. The varieties available are beyond the classic yellow trumpet (which I love). Soft spring shades with frilly petals and a heavenly scent get me all a flutter.

Tulips – Plant in pots or raised beds so they don’t rot in wet winter soil. Tulips start the flower growing season. Orange varieties are always my favourite.

Muscari – Muscari just want to grow. Plant on the edge of flower beds or in pots big and small. They remind me of pixie hats and I add more every year.

Iris – I think these are going to be really popular this spring. I tried a few last year but have added another 200 around the garden this autumn.

Alliums – Personally I’m not a huge fan of alliums so I don’t plant that many. However, they are great for drying so might add a few more.

Fritillaria – These are new to my cutting garden as I always regret not planting. Stay tuned to see if and when they bloom.

I hope these varieties give you some inspiration to get planting. If you have a small space then choosing mixed colours is a great way to get lots of different colour options in the garden. From there you can see what you love and plant more the following year.

You can find Lotts and Lots of Spring inspiration here.

Photography – Photography by Petra