Tabla de contenidos para Complete Guide to Bulbs en BBC Gardeners' World

If you’re looking for easy, low-maintenance gardening combined with colour all year round, bulbs are the perfect answer. From the joy of seeing them emerge in winter to their spectacular pops of colour in summer, bulbs take you seamlessly through the seasons and there’s one for every spot on your plot. Plus, with everything they need tightly packed inside they’re the easiest plants to grow – simply plant and wait. Most will come back year after year and many also provide much needed pollen and nectar for pollinators so they’re great value for every visitor to the garden! In this BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine special edition, you’ll find ideas and inspiration, our top picks for each season, and practical advice on how to plant, grow and look after these simplest…

Daffodils are the classic spring bulb, and one of the most reliable, flowering even when frost kisses their petals. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, offering a wide diversity of colours, shapes and sizes – from big golden trombones to tiny, delicate gems, to doubles that look almost like peonies. And when it comes to colour, there’s a wider choice than you might imagine: not just traditional golden, but acid-yellow, ivory, white with an egg-yolk or salmon centre, and even pink. This means there’s a daffodil for everyone, and by combining early and late varieties, you can have flowers from January through to early May. That’s more than 100 days of blooms! Daffodils thrive in a wide range of conditions, coping better than most other bulbs with wet…

Lilies hate sitting in wet compost, so terracotta pots are best as they let water drain away easily. Pots must also be large, with plenty of room for the roots to grow. Acid-loving Oriental lilies need an ericaceous compost. Lilies can be planted from late autumn through to early April. Once the plants come into growth, give them a high-potash feed, such as tomato fertiliser, on a regular basis, to encourage a good flowering display. We used ☐ 30cm terracotta pot☐ John Innes No. 3 compost (or peat-free ericaceous compost for Oriental lilies)☐ Lily bulbs☐ Horticultural grit 1 Soak new clay pots first so they don’t suck out moisture. Then half-fill with moist, John Innes No. 3 compost, which holds nutrients better than multi-purpose types. 2 Check the bulbs carefully,…

When summer draws to a close, there’s no reason to let your flower displays end, too. With a little forward planning, you can keep the show going and transform your garden, patio and containers with some vibrant bulbs. Several late-summer bulbs go on flowering well into autumn, such as glorious gladfioli. You can also choose from an array of autumn stalwarts, including ivy-leaved cyclamen and the autumn daffodil, both of which are small but pack a big punch. Take a look at our top picks for autumn to see why spring and summer bulbs aren’t the only stars of the show. The tender bulbs may need a little extra cosseting, but their dazzling displays in October will make the effort worthwhile. Choose the right selection of plants and you can…

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For a succession of fragrant blooms from Christmas onwards, plant up a pot of hyacinths every two weeks from early September to mid-October. Prepared bulbs are available in garden centres and online from late summer – varieties include dark blue ‘Kronos’, red-pink ‘Jan Bos’ and ‘White Pearl’. Don’t mix different varieties in one pot. After planting, keep prepared hyacinth bulbs below 9°C for six weeks, before bringing indoors to flower. Bulbs to force ☐ Hyacinths☐ Paper-white narcissi☐ Crocuses☐ Miniature irises☐ Amaryllis 1 Make sure you buy bulbs that are labelled as ‘prepared’, so they are ready to start growing. Half-fill a shallow terracotta pot with bulb fibre or multi-purpose compost. 2 Sit the bulbs on the surface of the compost, close together but not touching. Some people are allergic to…

Erythronium revolutum Delicately curled-back petals of palest mauve dance daintily over marbled foliage. Plant Sep-Nov Flowers Mar-Apr H x S 30cm x 50cm Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Fondant’ A richly fragrant hyacinth with plump lollipops of densely packed, candy-pink flowers. P Sep-Oct F Mar-May H x S 25cm x 8cm Tulipa ‘Christmas Dream’ These large flowers are big on impact, with rich cerise petals, with a silvery edging. P Nov F Apr-May H x S 35cm x 10cm Tulipa ‘New Design’ Romantic, soft pink petals flushed with a demure hint of primrose yellow.  P Nov F Apr-May H x S 45cm x 15cm Dahlia ‘Ken’s Rarity’ A waterlily dahlia with striking bi-coloured blooms, blending pink and yellow.  P Mar-May F Jul-Oct H x S 120cm x 40cm Allium oreophilum Clouds of deep…

Anemone coronaria De Caen Group As bright as miniature poppies, in painterly shades of blue, red and magenta. Plant Sep-Oct Flowers Mar-Apr H x S 25cm x 20cm Tulipa ‘Artist’ An impressionistic masterpiece of swirling terracotta, salmon and jade green. P Nov F Apr-May H x S 30cm x 20cm Tulipa ‘Flaming Parrot’ A stand-out parrot tulip with ruffled and fringed yellow petals, flamed with red. P Nov F Apr-May H x S 65cm x 10cm Tulipa ‘Oviedo’ A striking and unusual tulip that produces pink and white fringed flowers. P Nov F Apr-May H x S 50cm x 20cm Iris ‘Rajah’ A tall bearded iris with upright yellow petals that contrast with its purple falls. P May-Aug F May-Jun H X S 75cm x 45cm Narcissus ‘Trepolo’ An unusual…

A huge range of plants that grow from bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes thrive in shade, especially if the soil isn’t too dry. They often grow naturally in deciduous woodland, making the most of the spring sunshine before the tree canopy closes in above them. Winter aconites and wood anemones enjoy such conditions, while Cyclamen coum will even grow in the dry soil at the base of an evergreen hedge. There are shady areas in almost all gardens, perfect for many snowdrops, erythroniums and narcissi. To get you started, we’ve picked five lovely options, but there are lots more to choose from. ➊ Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’ Larger than the common snowdrop, with green V-shaped markings on the petals and a light fragrance. Plant Sep-Oct Flowers Feb-Mar  H x S 20cm…

Many bulbs thrive in woodland conditions, creating a carpet of colour in spring or autumn when the trees don’t have many leaves. They then fade into the background as the tree canopy fills out above them and casts them into deep shade. Whether you have one or two trees or a patch of woodland, these top choices will add valuable colour to the understorey. Who can resist a fragrant carpet of native bluebells or the demure nodding blooms of dog’s-tooth violets? ➊ Tulipa humilis The starry, pointed goblets open earlier than many other tulips, so this species does well under deciduous trees. Plant Oct-Nov Flowers Mar-Apr H x S 25cm x 15cm ➋ Bluebell This much-loved native wildflower, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, thrives in dappled shade, where it will quickly form large…

Bulbs are fascinating, containing everything needed to produce a beautiful flower. Inside, a typical bulb is made up of several layers, which are the swollen bases of the leaves that will sprout in spring – these are packed with energy-rich sugar to fuel growth. At the centre of the bulb is an embryo flower bud, ready to emerge when conditions are right. After a period of winter cold, the bulb will rocket into growth as temperatures start to rise. All you need to do is plant it. When you buy bulbs, the growers have done all the preparatory work for you, fattening them up to ensure they contain a plump, pre-formed flower bud. Our simple guide to bulb buying shows you how to choose strong, healthy bulbs for the best…

Each of these bulbs is a star in its own right, either in beds or containers, or kept in reserve in pots to fill any unexpected gaps that arise during the summer. Once these ‘reserves’ start to come into flower, you can plunge them up to the edge of their pot into a gap, straight into the border soil. Don’t forget to water them regularly and to take them out again when they’ve finished flowering, for planting permanently in a border or for careful overwintering. As the season progresses, many late-flowering bulbs burst into action, reviving displays with their rich, bright colours and refreshing foliage. Many late bulbs are native to Africa or America and have an exotic look that complements late-summer perennials, their flower spires and spikes boosting the…

Few flowers pack as much of a punch as dahlias. They come in a huge range of flower shapes, from pointed-petal cactus types to simple daisies and pompoms, in any size from golf-ball to dinner-plate. The choice of colours is vast too, from dark hues to vibrant, shocking shades, elegant pastels to clashing combinations or subtle blends. They bloom non-stop for months on end, in sunny borders and pots, and make great cut flowers. Buy the tubers or rooted cuttings in spring, and to make them flower earlier, jump-start them into growth in pots on a windowsill or in a frost-free greenhouse. Then, after the last frost, plant them into patio pots outside or directly into your borders. Dahlias are tender, so at the end of the season, after frost has…

Luminous pink, red, orange or white frilly trumpets are a surprising sight in autumn. But just when other plants are calling it a day and slowing down their flower production, nerines send up sinuous, snake-like stems topped with dazzling spidery blooms. These last for weeks and make excellent cut flowers. Nerines are native to southern Africa, where they’re found in dry, well-drained pockets of ground, often in mountainous areas. There are around 30 species, and a wide range of varieties, a few of which can be grown outdoors in the UK if given the right conditions. Nerine bowdenii is the nearest to being hardy and the easiest and least temperamental of the breed. These bulbous perennials are famously happy to grow undisturbed for many years once they’ve settled in. They like…

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ A flared white petticoat frames the nodding cup, with two flowers per stem. Plant Sep-Oct Flowers Mar-Apr H x S 35cm x 15cm Crocus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ These gleaming white goblets open to reveal their dainty vivid-orange pistils. P Sep-Oct F Feb-Mar H x S 12cm x 5cm Allium nigrum Large domed heads of starry flowers top the sturdy stems of this ornamental onion. P Sep-Nov F Jun-Jul H x S 60cm x 30cm Anemone blanda ‘White Splendour’ Cheery white daisies with sunny yellow stamens flutter above handsome foliage. P Sep-Nov F Mar-Apr H x S 15cm x 15cm Tulipa ‘Verona’ Large and froufrou, this fully double tulip turns from palest buttercream to pure white. P Oct-Nov F Apr-May H x S 40cm x 20cm Muscari botryoides ‘Album’ A…

Allium giganteum Tall orbs sway gracefully above the border like well-coiffed grandes dames. Plant Sep-Nov Flowers Jun-Jul H x S 1.8m x 15cm Camassia cusickii ‘Zwanenburg’ Tall spires of deep-blue stars with golden anthers, happy in part shade or sun. P Sep-Oct F Jun-Jul H x S 70cm x 25cm Iris unguicularis ‘Mary Barnard’ Velvety violet-blue petals, flashed with gold, and a rich fragrance. P Sep-Nov F Feb-Mar H x S 35cm x 30cm Crocus ‘King of the Striped’ Large blooms with stripy petals open in sun to reveal egg-yolk yellow stamens. P Sep-Oct F Jan-Mar H x S 15cm x 5cm Triteleia ‘Rudy’ Loose clusters of upturned bells, striped with violet blue, that look like a mini-agapanthus. P Sep-Oct F Jun-Jul H x S 45cm x 40cm Hyacinthus orientalis…

Autumn is the time to plant daffodils bulbs, and they’re ideal for growing in containers such as windowboxes, where you can see their exquisite flowers up close. Choose a fragrant variety such as ‘Ice Wings’, with its multi-headed stems of white flowers, or a dwarf variety such as yellow ‘Tête-à-tête’. Plant them on their own or with some spring bedding, and stand the display where you’ll pass by it often, so you can enjoy the fragrance. We used ☐ 20-30 Narcissus ‘Ice Wings’ bulbs☐ Windowbox☐ Spare plastic sheeting or old compost bag☐ Peat-free multi-purpose compost 1 Line your windowbox if it’s porous – ideally recycle an old compost bag or piece of plastic sheeting. Fill the windowbox one-third full with the compost. 2 Plant the bulbs on the surface of…

In general, bulbs usually prefer fairly free-draining sites. Only a select few can cope with wet conditions, as most have a tendency to rot if left to sit in soggy soil, especially over the winter. Still, those that do enjoy or tolerate some excess moisture are well worth growing, with classics such as bluebells and erythroniums among their number. Here we’ve selected our five favourites – from an easy-going lily that isn’t troubled by a soggy situation, to a hardy snowdrop that will cope with anything the weather throws at it. ➊ Fritillaria meleagris unicolor alba This white form of snake’s-head fritillary is just as pretty as the purple species. Plant a mix of both in moist conditions. Plant Sep-Oct Flowers Apr-May H x S 30cm x 8cm ➋ Spring…

Bulbs turn the early months of the year into a vibrant celebration. The dazzling diversity includes jewel-like dwarf irises in February, alongside crocuses in a multitude of vivid hues. Into March and April, there are even more to choose from, including delicate dog’s-tooth violets, sapphire-blue squill and bold daffodils, which pave the way for a kaleidoscopic array of tulips into late May. Bulbs are wonderfully easy to grow, as each one is a self-contained package containing everything that’s needed to produce one, or often several, perfect flowers. You just need to find the right place to plant them, provide soil or compost, and supply water to kickstart them into growth. Plant spring bulbs in autumn, from September to October, leaving tulips until November. Lily of the valley Prized for its…

Planting in layers – also known as ‘lasagne planting’ – is a great way to maximise the flower power of a pot. In autumn, plant layers of bulbs beneath a display of winter bedding plants and evergreen grasses, and they’ll push their flowers up through the top layer of plants in spring. Choose bulbs that are tall enough to rise above the other plants, flowering at a similar time or in succession, in complementary or contrasting colours. We used ☐ 30cm pot☐ Peat-free multi-purpose compost☐ 10 yellow tulip bulbs☐ 6 daffodil bulbs☐ 2 yellow heathers☐ 1 variegated phormium☐ 2 variegated carex☐ 3 yellow pansies 1 In autumn, choose a large pot with drainage holes and half-fill it with good quality peat-free multi-purpose compost. Firm it down gently to create a…

The tiny bulbs that emerge in winter bring colour to bare earth and cheer to the garden when little else is in flower. But despite their small stature, they’re big on colour and will brave all weathers to flower their socks off. Plant a selection of miniature irises, aconites, cyclamen and snowdrops and you’ll be rewarded with colour from January through to March, when the spring bulbs take over. There are many varieties of these bulbs to choose from, and when it comes to snowdrops in particular, the choices are almost endless once you get the bug. Planting times for winter bulbs vary, so check the individual variety when you buy and ensure you give your bulbs the best conditions when planting so they get off to a good start.…

Dahlia ‘Lemon Sherbet’ Light up your borders with these lemon yellow blooms on tall stems. Plant Mar-May Flowers Jul-Sep H x S 90cm x 60cm Narcissus ‘Golden Dawn’ Clusters of small yellow daffodils with orange trumpets and a light, sweet scent. P Sep-Oct F Mar-Apr H x S 40cm x 10cm Tulipa ‘Fly Away’ The pointed petals of this lily-flowered tulip open from a tight goblet to a sunny star. P Nov F Apr-May H x S 50cm x 20cm Narcissus ‘Baby Moon’ Each stem carries several mini-daffodil blooms – cheery, golden and fragrant. P Sep-Oct F Mar-Apr H x S 25cm x 10cm Crocosmia ‘Star of the East’ Fiery, glowing orange flowers with paler colouring towards the centre. P May-Jun F Jul-Sep H x S 1m x 50cm Crown…

Iris ‘Red Zinger’ An elegant bearded iris with darker fall petals below its wine-coloured standards. Plant Sep-Nov Flowers May-Jun H x S 65cm x 30cm Allium amethystinum ‘Red Mohican’ Dusky spheres emerge on bent stems, then straighten and explode into purple and white. P May-July F Jul H x S 90cm x 20cm Tulipa ‘Rems Favourite’ The white petals are flared from the base with deep wine-purple and a hint of green. P Nov F Apr H X S 60cm X 15cm Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Woodstock’ Spires of sweetly perfumed flowers in rich blackcurrant-sorbet shades. P Sep-Oct F Mar-Apr H x S 30cm x 8cm Tulipa ‘Jan Reus’ A very early dark crimson tulip, its colour, like a good claret, deepens with age. P Nov F Apr-May H x S 50cm x…

Planting bulbs in a lawn is a great way to add a splash of cheery colour. The best choices are those that flower early in spring, such as crocuses, snowdrops and cyclamen, before the grass starts into growth. Daffodils and tulips are easy too, but taller options can make a lawn look untidy, as you have to avoid mowing the grass until their foliage fades and turns yellow. Once planted, these bulbs will come back year after year, creating an easy and spectacular spring display that needs little maintenance. ➊ Crocus ‘Pickwick’ This is one of the larger crocuses and can cope in wilder areas of grass, as well as lawns. It should spread well in a sunny spot. Plant Sep-Oct Flowers Feb-Mar H x S 12cm x 8cm ➋…

Planting Most bulbs are easy to grow, but it’s worth taking care to plant them correctly – at the right depth and in the right location. Here we answer some common bulb-planting queries Q How can I get the best performance from nerines? A Nerines need a dry, sunny summer to flower well. Additionally, if you have rich soil, you may get large leaves at the expense of flowers. If the bulbs are planted densely, don’t worry – it’s often said that overcrowding aids flowering. Nerines also like a hot, sunny location. In warmer parts of the country, the neck of the bulb should be just above the soil surface. In colder areas, the bulbs should be covered with 6cm of soil for protection. If it looks like being a cold…