Springtime stunners RHS Harlow Carr’s Rebecca Land on bulbs to plant for spring colour
s gardeners, everything we do is looking to the future – and planting bulbs is no exception. If you haven’t already, it’s not too late to plant up your containers or beds to enjoy in spring. Garden centres often have offers on at this time of year, and bulb planting is a brilliant way to get growing, whether you’re an avid gardener or a beginner, and regardless of how much space you have. We have been busy here at RHS Garden Harlow Carr doing just that. We start ordering our bulbs in mid-July, when spring displays are far from most people’s minds. The garden team pores over the catalogues, choosing bulbs to complement each other in colour, scent, size and flowering time. The aim is to extend the floral season and achieve the best possible variety of colour, shape and texture.
CLASSIC CONTAINER COMBOS October sees our bulbs arriving in crates, all carefully labelled and categorised, which is very important when you’ve ordered many of thousands of bulbs, as we do here. Often the teams layer up their containers, starting with the bulbs that will flower last – usually the tulips, which are destined for May–June flowering. These are followed by a layer of smaller bulbs such as narcissi for an April show. For the top layer you could add the diminutive Iris reticulata or pale pink Chionodoxa to flower in February–March. Other possibilities for this top layer are Iris ‘Harmony’, which is a delicious blue-purple with splashes of yellow at its centre, or Iris ‘George’, a rich purple variety. How cheery to have a pot of these welcoming you at your front door in the gloomy month of February! Dales Life | WINTER 2021 |
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