Tulipa 'Finola'

Grown in Yorkshire.

Although we are probably best known for our roses and fruit trees, we have always offered a wide range of bulbs for sale, producing 4 different catalogues per year at one stage.

The selection of autumn planting bulbs we can supply is one of the largest available in the UK. It includes all the familiar favourites – crocus, daffodils and tulips – as well as some more unusual species which are well worth trying in the garden. Our range of alliums is second to none – we exhibited alliums at Chelsea Flower Show many years ago, long before they became fashionable! Planting bulbs is one of the most rewarding tasks in gardening – planning ahead at a time when the rest of the garden is going to sleep, looking forward to a new gardening year and a burst of colour and energy when the longer days start to return. Whether you are mass planting borders full of tulips, starting a cutting garden or just preparing a pot of two of hyacinths for the Christmas table, bulbs are one of the easiest and most economical ways to bring scent and colour into the house and garden.

Planting.

The range of bulbs is vast, and some require quite specific planting – but for the majority, a rule of thumb is to plant three times the depth of the bulb. Many bulbs have an obvious top (generally the pointy end, or with a prominent growing point) and a base (normally flatter, and with signs of last year’s root growth apparent), but some don’t. Normally they will find their way to the surface, so don’t fret overly if you are having trouble!

Notable exceptions are eremurus, which like to be planted very shallowly. Scrape a few centimetres of soil away to allow the roots to spread out undamaged and then lightly cover, leaving the growing point in the centre just proud of the soil.

The Crown Imperial Fritillarias - amazingly showy bulbs for a slightly shady position – have a large hole in the centre of the bulb, which is where the previous year’s flower spike was, and this can fill with water over the winter and cause the bulb to rot. Avoid this by planting the bulb on its side.

Almost all bulbs prefer good drainage, and rotting over the winter in very heavy, water-logged soil is one of the main causes of failure. If your soil is on the heavy side, it’s a good idea just to put a pinch of grit or washed sand underneath the bulb on planting.

Most bulbs can be planted as soon as you receive your order (between September and November). If you are not planting immediately, store the bulbs in a cool, frost-free environment, in a paper bag or loose in a seed tray. Do not store bulbs in plastic bags, which can cause them to sweat and rot. As a guide, narcissus like to be planted as early as possible (to enable good root growth before the onset of winter) whereas tulips prefer to be planted later (to avoid the possiblity of early foliage being damaged by frosts), but they will happily adapt if this is not possible. Tulips can be planted as late as January and still provide a wonderful display only a few short months later.

Maintenance.

The beauty of bulbs is that they are a self-contained unit – the bulb contains all the nutrients they need to come into growth and flower. The harder part is to get them to repeat-flower the following year. Some will do this quite easily with no intervention required – indeed naturalising bulbs such as bluebells, snowdrops and crocus will quite happily multiply and colonise an area if conditions are good. Others may need a helping hand – a light feed with bonemeal when the bulbs are in active growth will help promote a strong root system, so the bulb can get the nutrients it needs from the soil. Also, leave any foliage to die-back naturally, again so the bulb can replenish itself for the following year.

Bulb sizes.

We only supply top-sized bulbs. This ensures the best possible flowering display in the first year. We know it is possible to buy smaller, cheaper bulbs but the results can be disappointing. There are a few species that we offer that may take a year or so to get going and reach full flowering potential (e.g. Narcissus pseudonarcissus ‘Lobularis’), but otherwise we only offer the biggest bulbs available for that variety, so you have the best display of flowers next year.

Email our highly skilled team with any questions and we will be only too happy to try and help sales@rvroger.co.uk