Bulbs

That's right..bulbs.
It's that time of year again when the garden's starting to look tired, shrubs need pruning, herbaceous plants chopping back and the weeds collecting before their infernal seeds take over the garden. Now it's got to be said that there's a fine balance between an over tidy garden and one left to weather the winter whilst still trying to wear it's summer planting. The thing is, tidying the garden at this time can feel like a step back; at least in the new year you feel like you're getting ready for Spring whereas this side of Christmas we still want to be hanging onto the feel and energy of Summer, I dare say many people would go along the line that we haven't even had a Summer yet so even more reason to delay the arrival of that Autumnal vibe: and this is where bulbs come in. If ever there was an emotional seasonal saviour it's these little beauties.

Bulbs! Every colour you could wish for, forms and shapes you wouldn't even have imagined a plant could produce is tucked away inside these little time capsules of foliar joy. From the tiny wild Daffodils (Narcissus asturiensis is a dainty 4inchs) to the wildly flambouyant Lilies, from beautifully simple Crocus to the bizarre Dragon arum (Dracunculus vulgaris is a site one is unlikely to forget as is the smell sadly). Now some of you may have noticed that the last plant I mentioned, the Arum, is infact a tuber rather than a true bulb but with a little gardeners licence I like to put them all together under the same banner, you see when one includes the full range of underground plant capsules (corms, tubers, rhizomes, bulbs and tuberous roots) you open up a box of possibillities and all you have to do is plant them!

So in these darkening days of garden potterings, don't stress yourself with the sight of fading foliage and weeds going to seed, arm yourself with a bucket load of bulbs and get out there planting at the same time. You see the Autumn isn't just about tidying the garden ready for next year it's also about getting new colour and growth ready for the Spring, plant a drift of Snakes head fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) in the lawn, fill your pots with Daffs and Tulips, perhaps a row of Gladiolus at the back of a bed or Cyclamen around the base of a favourite garden tree. With the garden so clear and you scrabbling around amongst the bushes after weeds it's the perfect time for you to pop a few in as you go.

After a Summer like last what could possibly be more cheery than the knowledge that all the work you put in now will at the very least reward your new year with a riot of colour, form and fragrance. If you really can't wait that long pot up a little basket of Hyacinths, pop them in a dark cupboard till the green shoots start appearing then bring them out into the shade, after a few days move them nearer the window, then when the flower buds start to form you can put them wherever you want them and simply sit back and enjoy as you peruse the garden catalogues and dream of warm sunny days in the garden once more.