what bulbs to plant this autumn

Late autumn is a good time to start making a plan for a garden planting that will deliver your desired colours in spring next year and the best way to start is to plant bulbs this autumn.

Here are examples of a couple of fantastic bulbs, that will make your garden border stand out from early spring months.

Alliums are the most common type of bulbs, that you can find in any garden centre or a bulb catalogue.

Allium ‘Christophii’ in one of our projects

To bring a bit of a visual impact into your planting design,  Allium ‘Christophii’ is a fantastic choice. This bulb will flower in June/July and It has very large globes in silvery-lilac colour, that consist of many star-shaped flowers. It reaches up to 50cm in height.

This bulb is also suitable for cutting.
I also recommend not removing the dried flower heads of this bulb from your border,  as its skeletal form will add a bit more interest into the planting later in the season.

Another type of a bulb that will give an interesting visual effect is Allium sphaerocephalon.

This is an unusual bulb in a drumstick form, that will grow up to about 60cm. In May/June the long green stem will carry a flower that at first will appear green, and as the summer progresses, it will change its colour on the top to purple, creating a beautiful two tonne effect. This bulb can be planted in a garden border in small groups (drifts) amongst other perennials.

Another fantastic addition to your spring bulb display that you can plant this autumn is Fritillaria meleagris.

Flowering from April to May this unusual variety of bulb will add more sophistication into the planting design of your garden. It has an unusual bell-shaped flower, that has a very distinctive checked pattern on the petals. There is also a white variety that could be combined with purple for a fantastic visual contrast.
These bulbs are very adaptable and can be grown in a variety of situations: a container, sunny spring border, woodland edge, wildflower meadows or in the areas with longer grass.

Spring container display with Iris reticulata

 Iris reticulata is a fantastic variety of small iris, up to 15cm height, that will add a much-desired colour into a garden border in late winter/early spring.
It is a lovely little iris with deep violet-blue flowers with a conspicuous golden-yellow marking on lower petals. This is a great addition for the front of a sunny garden border. This type of iris can also be grown in pots.

The variety of bulbs available to plant during the autumn months is vast and they vary in colours, sizes, shapes, forms and times of flowering.
With this choice it is easy to create a fantastic bulb display for your garden that can be admired from early spring months to summer.

Planting more bulbs in your garden will help bridge the gaps between the flowering times of perennials and shrubs, making the overall planting design in your garden more dynamic, colourful and always evolving.

If you would like to add more bulbs into your garden design, I would be happy to help.

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