Planting bulbs in your lawn
Saturday November 07 2009
If you like the natural look, it's possible to plant some bulbs in a corner of your lawn. Just lift a sod with a spade and position the bulbs underneath, replacing the sod on top. This is especially good with crocuses, which can look really pretty at the edge. You might need to mark it with a few bamboo canes so that you don't walk on the area and damage the bulbs coming up. Of course, you must wait for the bulbs to finish flowering and die back naturally before you cut the grass.
Here are three favourite bulbs for planting now:
Tulip 'Queen of Night'
If you're looking for something dramatic in a spring garden, you'll find it difficult to beat the tulip Queen of Night. Though not strictly a black tulip, it's a gorgeous deep burgundy that has a dark sheen before it fully opens. When planted in groups -- and especially where planted against a pale background -- it really stands out and makes a statement.
Tulipa Queen of Night is elegant and striking, and also makes a very beautiful cut flower. Give it a sheltered, sunny position and you'll have something a little different in your garden next spring.
Hyacinth 'Woodstock'
I have always had a love affair with hyacinth. I love their colours and rich, exotic scent. The usual colours are pink, blue and pale yellow, but one that stands out from the crowd is the variety Woodstock, which is a gorgeous Cardinal's Purple -- a most unusual colour a little difficult to describe.
I have made a point of planting up a half-barrel with nothing but these outside my front door. Next April, I expect to be bowled over when they come into flower, not only by the beautiful colour but also by the scent I expect to hit me as they greet me.
When buying hyacinth, remember that the larger bulbs give bigger flowers.
Narcissus 'Ice Follies'
With many people growing vegetables, I have been recommending putting a row of daffodils as a cut-flower crop into your vegetable garden.
One daffodil that's super for cutting is known as Ice Follies. These are lovely pale-coloured daffodils with broad open trumpets. They're fantastic for cutting and you can often buy them in value packs. Just find a little patch in your vegetable garden where you can dig a trench and position them. Not only will they brighten up the vegetable garden, but you'll have the benefit of cutting them and bringing them into the house when they come into flower.
Snowdrops
Snowdrops are a favourite, but they need to go into the ground as quickly as possible. As they are small bulbs, they are prone to dehydration. Many gardeners prefer to lift and divide them while they're growing, but bulbs are available for planting now. They can look great under deciduous shrubs and trees, where you can let them spread slowly and develop over a number of years to form colonies. They're one of the prettiest early flowers.
You might like to try a few in small terracotta pots, leaving them outside until they come into bud. You can then bring them in and put them on a kitchen windowsill, where the flowers will open and bring a little of the outdoors inside.
- Dermot O'Neill
Irish Independent
