The weather, like everything else this year, has been a bit chaotic recently. Long dry days became torrential downpours, and we’re due some late hot weather again this week. But eventually it will settle down and if there is one thing we can rely on, it’s that seasons do emerge eventually each year (even if they are short-lived!).
With that in mind, now is a good time to start planning for next Spring. I’ve been planting a few extra daffodil and tulip bulbs this weekend. A tip I learned a few years ago is to plant your bulbs in pond baskets sunk in the ground. That way you get a nice clump of plants that are easier to lift if you choose to do so.
I ordered my bulbs online this year from J.Parkers.co.uk as I wasn’t sure if we’d still be able to visit garden centres. They arrived neatly packed in a cardboard box, with a surprise free gift of more bulbs! Those I have given away, but I particularly wanted some narcissus to remind me of the years I spent living in Cornwall. I chose King Alfred, which flower in March and April and are the classic golden yellow you’d expect from a daffodil.
If you’re buying daffs and tulips, remember that there are early and late varieties. It’s a good idea to get a few that flower in different months, from January right through to May, so that you have a succession of interest rather than a big show that is over in a couple of weeks.
Tiny Spaces Garden Design 