Dear Sven,

I would like to plant some bulbs in my garden and window boxes for the first time, but I don't know much about them. I was thinking about ordering some off the internet, but there are just so many to choose from and I don't know where to start! Please can you give me some advice on what I should choose and buy and how to plant them.

Thank you,
Simon

Our Gardens Expert replies:

Hi Simon,

The subject of bulbs is huge and there are thousands of different varieties and cultivars available. Before you start buying you need to know the difference between bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes.

True bulbs are formed from fleshy leaf bases or leaves forming concentric rings around a basal plate. The outer 'leaves' form a protective skin to protect the bulb; a good example of a true bulb is the daffodil.

Corms are formed from the swollen bases of a stem and are regrown every year. Corms include members of the crocus and gladioli family.

Tubers are knobbly irregular shaped swollen stems or roots that are used to store food for the plant. Often confused with rhizomes, tubers can be found on plants such as dahlia, corydalis and cyclamen.

Rhizomes are swollen stems found underground and are found on plants such as irises and members of the liliaceae family. They usually grow horizontally and send up shoots periodically.

As it's your first time planting bulbs, I suggest you go for daffodils, tulips and crocus. First let's start with daffodils - these are best planted from August to November ready for flowering in spring. There are thousands of different varieties and the easiest to grow are generally hybrid ones, and the most commonly planted. They prefer well drained soil with some sun or light shade. To be honest they will grow pretty much anywhere except for really soggy soil, where they will just rot. They should be planted three times the height of the bulb deep or if planted in a lawn a little deeper, about 15cms. If your soil is really heavy you should sprinkle some grit in the hole to aid drainage. If you're planting in a window box or container, a great tip is to plant them at different depths almost in layers so you can squeeze more in for a colourful display.

Next up, tulips. They're available in all sorts of varieties and cultivars, from single flowered ones to doubles and ones with colourful foliage, they are also grouped as to their flowering season (early-mid spring, late spring, and early summer). This means that if you choose well you can have a display for a good few months and this is really handy seeing as individually they are quite short lived. Tulips should be planted in October and November because they like cold weather to help them root well... but you can get away with planting them later in the year. They like sandy soil in plenty of sun with a little protection from cold winds. They should be planted 10cms deep and the same distance apart, when they start to show in spring make sure to water them to well to help them grow tall and strong. Also when you plant them, top-dress them with a little soil to give them a good nutrition boost. They are the same as daffs in the fact you should wait to cut the leaves back so they can restock energy for next year, and finally be warned that they attract the gardeners worst enemy, slugs!

Go to the next page for Sven's crocus creed as well as his top tips for bulbs...