Written and edited by Tammy 2nd March 2023
March has begun and so has Autumn.
It really is a beautiful time of the year; the worst of the heat has finally finished but there's still some warmth in the soil.
That makes now the perfect time to start getting your bulbs all settled in ready for their masses of colour in Spring.
You can have so much fun with it; you're only bound by your imagination.
Scatter them randomly or in clumps throughout your garden beds, if you prefer something a little more structured and formal, do mass plantings in rows.
If you're short on space or live in a rental, plant up a few pots that you can move around to suit your mood.
Get a little creative and play with colour and texture coordination. Who says you need to have just bulbs in the pot.
Imagine some dark large pots in a couple of sizes and styles planted up with some Lobelia, Alyssum or Dichondra spilling over the side, some lovely red poppies for height and then some yellow Daffodils or Tulips surrounded by some little blue Hyacinth popping their heads up in the Spring, giving you a continual display of colour.
There are so many beautiful bulbs to choose from. Daffodils, Irises, Tulips, Ranunculi, Hyacinth and Anemones, and that's not even scratching the surface, (no pun intended).
Kindy's and Primary schools often run bulb fundraisers in the first term of the year, keep an eye out for them when the kids bring the order forms home as it's a great opportunity to stock up on some bulbs while supporting the schools at the same time. If the kids are past that age, you'll find most of your major leading outlets will start stocking them over the next few weeks if they haven't already.
The golden rule, for that nice full look, plant your bulbs 'cheek to cheek' (just touching one another), and at a depth of twice the width of the bulb. So a nice, large round daffodil is probably going to be between 3 to 4 inches deep down, whereas a little freesia may be barely 1 inch down. Incorporate some well-aged animal manure, some blood and bone, and some 10-10-10 balanced fertiliser at the time of planting. A triple 10 is just a good equal portion bend of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, which your bulbs are going to look for when they wake up hungry in Spring. It takes a lot of nutrition to push up and show off good quality full blooms whilst also taking in enough nutrients to set the bulb up for the following season.
You really can't say there is ever a quiet time of the year in the garden as there's always something to prepare, prune, plant, lift, divide or just shuffle around.
Maybe I've inspired you even just a little, if you've got some spare empty pots, grab yourself some bulbs.
Have a wonderful Friday, and an even better weekend.
Happy Gardening!đđšđ¸
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