This is your reminder to get out and plant some summer bulbs before it is too late! While it is tempting to stay indoors and ignore garden duties during the drizzly late spring and early summer, now is the time to put the work in and get your garden prepped for those summer blooms. Head into the thick of it while the ground is soft and damp, it is the perfect texture for nurturing bulbs that will provide effortless colour this summer.
The early days of May are the ideal time to get your bulbs planted and your garden prep in full swing. The risk of frost has passed and there is still plenty of rain (unfortunately!) to keep your bulbs watered and give them the best chance of becoming gorgeous summer blooms! The best part? You get to enjoy the fruits of your labour year on year!
Our top tips:
- Plant your bulbs in sets of 3 different flowers
- Plant them in a space of 30cm squared so they have room to grow and expand
- Plant them at least twice the depth of the bulb and nose up
- Stagger your planting for a sweet cottage garden look!
- Have the right garden tools for a better finish.
Here is a handy list of our favourite bulbs to plant over the next couple of weeks to ensure you have fabulous flowers this summer:
Gladiola
Photo by Earl Wilcox on Unsplash
From bright, colourful blooms to the more delicate variety, there are many Gladioli to choose from. These tall beauties are perfect for the back of beds to provide some drama and make the most wonderful cut flowers when the time comes to let them go!
Liatris
Photo by Ember Navarro on Unsplash
These fuzzy cuties are also knows as blazing stars for their tall stalks and spectacular flower tops. They are wonderful pollinators so your garden with be filled with buzzing bees and butterflies while you do your part to save the bees!
Calla Lily
Photo by Pauline Bernfeld on Unsplash
These are the classy gardeners flower of choice. Tall and elegant, they make fantastic front door flowers in planters. There are many colours to choose from, from white to vibrant pink, orange and dark purple.
Large Stone Effect Urn Planter, €130
Canna Lily
Photo by Camilla Bundgaard on Unsplash
These lilies are the one for you if you like some exotic colour in your garden! With dazzling orange and purple varieties they are a sure fire way to bring some drama to your flower beds.
Allium
Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash
These ball-shaped beauties are a familiar sight as they have become the landscapers favourite go-to in recent years, but they have earned the title just by being so gorgeous! They look especially well mixed with simple grasses as they will poke out tall and colourful. They might not flower the first year but just leave them to do their thing and you will eventually reap the rewards!
Crocosmia
Photo by Jacqueline O'Gara on Unsplash
These plants bring a Mediterranean feel to your flowerbeds and flower long into the summer while being long leafy delights year round! At the end of their yearly life span they make wonderful cut flowers and spread like wild fire year on year so leave plenty of room for these babies.
Dahlia
Photo by Timo C. Dinger on Unsplash
The ulitmate versatile summer bloom, we would take a whole garden of dahlias and spend our summers happy. These beauts come in every shape, size and colour you can think of an have different patterns, leaves and flowers to keep things interesting. They make wonderful patio pot fillers for the first summer.
Ranunculus
Photo by Samantha Fortney on Unsplash
Another cut flower fave and versatile choice, the ranunculus is a beautiful flower quite literally overflowing with personality with it's tightly packed petals. They are super versatile bloomers and will generally flower about 12 weeks after planting so you can enjoy them as late summer show offs!
Did we miss any of your summer bulb favourites? Let us know in the comments!
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