Planting Bulbs for Early Spring Colour

Why Autumn Is the Gardener's Secret Season

By late September the borders are looking tired. Dahlias are mildewed, the last annuals have gone over, and it is tempting to hang up the trowel until spring. Resist that instinct. The most rewarding piece of gardening you will do all year happens in the next six weeks, when you bury a few hundred small brown promises in cold soil and then, mostly, forget about them.

Spring bulbs need a spell of cold to break their dormancy and trigger flower formation. Planted now, they have time to push out roots while the ground is still warm, then sit quietly through winter and send up shoots the moment conditions allow. Get them in late and they flower poorly — or not at all. Get them in on time and you will have colour from January to May, long before anything else in the garden has woken up.

Picking Bulbs for a Long, Cheerful Season

You do not need much space to make a real impact. Three groups do the heavy lifting for early spring:

• Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) — the first of the year, often flowering in January. They prefer light shade and soil that stays reasonably moist, so they suit a spot under a deciduous shrub. Dry bulbs are fine in September, but snowdrops establish far better bought "in the green" in March. Plant 5–8cm deep and 5cm apart, in generous clumps.
• Crocus — the cheeriest six weeks of the year. Try 'Cream Beauty' or 'Ruby Giant' for a punch of colour in a small space. Crocus tommasinianus is the one to choose if squirrels are a menace, as they tend to leave it alone, and it will seed itself about happily. Plant corms 7–8cm deep and 5–8cm apart in full sun.
• Daffodils — for reliability and sheer value, nothing beats them. 'Tête-à-Tête' is perfect for pots, 'February Gold' and 'Jetfire' lead the season in borders, and the native Narcissus pseudonarcissus is ideal for naturalising in grass. Plant 10–15cm deep.

Timing Your Planting

Aim to have everything except tulips in the ground by the end of October, and no later than mid-November. Daffodils and crocus are best started in September and early October. If bulbs are already firm and plump, they will wait a fortnight in a cool, dark shed — but a warm kitchen windowsill will turn them soft and mouldy within days, so keep them somewhere cold until you plant.

Tulips are the exception: they are happiest planted in November, as a cold spell late in the year helps prevent disease. Everything else wants a good head start.

Getting the Depth and Position Right

The golden rule is simple: plant each bulb at roughly three times its own height of soil above the nose. In practice that means 10–15cm for daffodils, 7–8cm for crocus and 5–8cm for snowdrops. Too shallow is the most common mistake, and shallow bulbs are also the ones that get dug up by wildlife.

Fork over the soil first so roots can move freely, then add a handful of grit to each planting hole if you garden on clay. A sprinkle of general-purpose fertiliser at planting time gives them a useful boost, but avoid fresh manure, which burns the bulbs. Space daffodils 10–15cm apart and crocus 5–8cm apart.

Rather than planting in tidy rows, tip a handful of bulbs into your palm and scatter them, then plant wherever they land. You will get natural-looking drifts that look as though they have always been there. Crocus and daffodils want sun; snowdrops will cope with quite deep shade.

Dealing with Squirrels and Claggy Soil

Squirrels, mice and voles will happily eat your entire autumn's work. Plant deeper than you think necessary, firm the soil well, and lay a sheet of chicken wire over the surface, pegged down at the corners. Remove it once shoots appear. Chilli powder or a garlic spray over the planting area also helps, though you will need to reapply after rain. Skip bone meal for the same reason — it attracts animals rather than deterring them.

Waterlogging is the other great bulb killer, particularly on heavy clay. If your soil sits wet all winter, plant on a slight mound, work grit into the planting pocket, or grow your bulbs in pots raised on feet so excess water can drain freely. Bulbs that rot in December give you nothing in March.

Pots, Lawns and What to Expect in Spring

Containers are perfect for small gardens and courtyards. Use a loam-based compost rather than a light multipurpose, add crocks or broken polystyrene to the base, and try layering: crocus in the top few centimetres, daffodils in the middle, tulips lower still. One pot, three months of flowers. Leave pots outside through winter so the bulbs get the cold they need, but move them somewhere sheltered from the worst of the rain.

In lawns, choose species daffodils and scatter them informally, then resist mowing the foliage for at least six weeks after flowering. The leaves are feeding the bulb for next year, not just making a mess.

Come January, the snowdrops will appear first, followed by crocus in February and daffodils from March. Let the foliage die back naturally, give everything a light feed, and the same bulbs will reward you again next year — and for many years after that.