Summer-flowering bulbs
Summer flowering bulbs bring colour once the tulips are over. Alliums, ranunculus, freesias, anemones, camassias and summer snowflakes from May into summer, fresh from the grower with clear advice. Summer flowering bulbs bring colour once the tulips are over. Alliu...
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Summer flowering bulbs: colour for when the tulips are over
Early May can feel a little quiet in the border. The tulips and daffodils have finished and many perennials are still getting going. That's exactly when summer flowering bulbs step in. These bulbs, corms and tubers flower from May into summer, carrying your garden from spring into summer without a gap. Think of the big purple globes of alliums floating above the foliage, ranunculus with their layered rosettes of petals and fragrant freesias in a pot by the back door.
In this collection you'll find summer bulbs for borders, for pots on the patio and for damper spots in the garden. Some are planted in autumn, others in spring. Below you'll find exactly when and how deep to plant them, and how to keep them flowering year after year.
Why grow summer flowering bulbs?
Summer bulbs deserve a place in every garden. Here's why:
- No gap in flowering: they bridge the period between spring bulbs and high summer.
- A magnet for pollinators: alliums are hugely popular with bees and butterflies.
- Lovely in a vase: ranunculus, freesias, anemones and alliums all make great cut flowers.
- Height and structure: they add layers and rhythm to a border, especially among grasses and perennials.
- Perfect for containers: freesias, ranunculus and anemones thrive on a sunny patio or balcony.
When to plant summer bulbs
There are two planting times for summer flowering bulbs, depending on whether a variety is hardy or not.
In autumn: alliums, camassias and summer snowflakes
Hardy varieties are planted in autumn, from September to November, just like spring bulbs. They root over autumn and come up by themselves in spring. Plant alliums three times as deep as the bulb is tall, so a large bulb goes in a good 15 to 20 cm deep. Camassias and summer snowflakes go in around 10 to 15 cm deep, ideally somewhere that doesn't dry out.
What bulbs to plant in spring
Tender varieties such as ranunculus, freesias and Anemone De Caen are bulbs to plant in spring, once the risk of hard frost has passed, usually from March to May. Soak ranunculus and anemone corms in lukewarm water for a few hours first to give them a head start. Plant ranunculus with their 'claws' pointing down, about 5 cm deep. Freesias go in about 5 cm deep, pointed end up. Allow roughly three months from planting to flowering.
What about dahlias and lilies?
Dahlia tubers and lily bulbs are among the best-known summer bulbs too. Dahlias aren't hardy either and go into open ground once the frosts are over, usually from mid to late May. Lilies can be planted in spring as well. They follow the same rhythm as the ranunculus and freesias in this collection, so they're easy to plant together.
When do summer bulbs flower?
With the right mix you can have flowers from April well into summer. A rough guide:
- April and May: the summer snowflake opens the season; despite its name, it flowers in late spring.
- May: camassias and the early allium Purple Sensation.
- June: the big heads of Gladiator, Mount Everest and Christophii are at their best.
- July: the small drumstick allium Sphaerocephalon rounds off the allium season.
- June to September: ranunculus, anemones and freesias, depending on when you plant them.
Plant ranunculus, anemones and freesias in two or three batches a few weeks apart and they'll keep flowering for longer, with something new opening all summer.
Which summer flowering bulbs should you choose?
Each summer bulb has its own character and favourite spot. Here's what you'll find in this collection.
Alliums
Alliums are the stars of early summer. Choose from Purple Sensation, Gladiator, Mount Everest, Christophii, the bright blue Caeruleum, Ping Pong, Pinball Wizard, Miami, Purple Rain, Sphaerocephalon and Siculum, or a mix such as Purple-White or Buzzing Beauties. The spherical heads still look great as seed heads after flowering.
Ranunculus and Anemone De Caen
Ranunculus have full, rose-like flowers in bright and soft shades and are much loved as cut flowers. Anemone De Caen has single flowers with a dark centre in red, blue, purple and white. Both do well in pots and borders.
Freesias
Freesias have graceful sprays of flowers with a fresh, sweet scent. They aren't hardy and do best in a warm, sunny spot. Grow them in a pot by the patio door and you'll catch the fragrance every time you pass.
Camassias and summer snowflakes
Camassias produce slender spikes of blue or white flowers and love moist soil. The summer snowflake has white bells with a green tip. Both are ideal for a damp corner, the edge of a pond or a patch of grass that isn't mown too early. They come back and spread, just like many naturalising bulbs.
Summer bulbs for pots and borders
Summer bulbs are versatile. Wherever you plant them, a few simple rules help you get the most out of them.
In borders
In a border, summer bulbs look best in groups of five to ten, among lower garden plants and ornamental grasses. These also hide the allium foliage, which often yellows while the flower is still open. Space large alliums 20 to 30 cm apart; smaller varieties can go closer together.
Summer flowering bulbs for pots
Freesias, ranunculus and anemones do very well in containers. Plant them close together in a roomy garden pot with a drainage hole and a layer of crocks, in a sunny spot. Freesias grow fairly tall and slender, so a few twiggy supports stop them flopping. A compact allium such as Sphaerocephalon also looks lovely in a pot.
Summer bulbs for bees, butterflies and the vase
If you want a garden buzzing with life, summer bulbs belong on your planting list. Allium heads are made up of hundreds of tiny star-shaped flowers full of nectar, and bees, bumblebees and butterflies visit them all day long. A mix such as Buzzing Beauties is put together with exactly that in mind, and among our bulb collections you'll also find an allium mix that flowers in succession from May to July.
Love cutting flowers for the house? Ranunculus, anemones and freesias last well in a vase, and allium heads look striking dried too. Cut in the morning, when stems are full of water.
Caring for and overwintering summer bulbs
Water summer bulbs in pots regularly, especially in warm weather, but never let them sit in wet compost. Remove faded flowers to encourage new buds. Then let the foliage die back so the bulb or corm can build up reserves. Alliums, camassias and summer snowflakes simply stay in the ground and return every year.
Freesias aren't hardy, and ranunculus and anemones often don't survive a hard winter either. You can lift the corms in autumn, dry them off and store them frost-free, or treat them as annuals and plant new ones each spring. Bulbs and corms aren't edible, so keep them out of reach of pets and young children.
Want to see what else there is? Browse all our flower bulbs.
Order your summer flowering bulbs from Green Bubble
At Green Bubble you choose summer bulbs from a carefully selected range from a specialist bulb grower, with the flowering time, planting time and depth listed for every variety. Not sure which summer bulbs suit your garden or patio? Our Personal Plantshopper is happy to help.
✔ Fresh from the grower
✔ Autumn and spring planters for a garden that keeps on flowering
✔ Personal advice from our Personal Plantshopper
Enjoy a summer full of colour, from the first allium to the last freesia.
