Spring-flowering bulbs
Spring bulbs to plant this autumn for colour from February to May. Choose from tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and early small bulbs, fresh from the grower with clear planting advice. Spring bulbs to plant this autumn for colour from February to May. ...
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Spring bulbs: plant this autumn for a colourful spring
After a long, grey winter, few things lift the spirits like the first flowers pushing through the soil. Spring bulbs are planted in autumn and flower from February to May. They work quietly underground: while you're tidying the garden for winter, they're putting down roots, ready to wake up on the first sunny days. This collection brings together all our spring flowering bulbs, from the modest snowdrop to the elegant tulip and the striking crown imperial.
Because they go into the ground in autumn, you'll also see them sold as autumn planting bulbs. Below you'll find when to plant spring bulbs, how deep they go, when they flower and how to keep them coming back year after year.
Why plant spring bulbs?
A few good reasons to get planting this autumn:
- Colour when you need it most: they flower while the rest of the garden is still asleep.
- Plant once, enjoy for months: they go in once in autumn and need very little attention after that.
- A lifeline for bees: crocuses, snowdrops and grape hyacinths are a vital early source of food for bees.
- They come back: many varieties return every year and get fuller over time.
- They work anywhere: in borders, in the lawn or in a pot by the front door.
When to plant spring bulbs
Spring bulbs are planted from September to December. They need a period of cold: only after several weeks of low temperatures in the ground is the bulb ready to flower. Without that winter chill, flowering is poor or doesn't happen at all, which is why autumn is the time to plant.
What bulbs to plant in autumn, and in what order
Start in September with crocuses, snowdrops, grape hyacinths and daffodils, as they like to root early. Crown imperials also prefer to go in early. Hyacinths follow in October. Tulips are best planted a little later, from October to December, once the soil has cooled below about 10°C, which reduces the risk of tulip fire. In short, the bulbs to plant in autumn follow a simple order: small and early first, tulips last.
How late can you plant spring bulbs?
As long as the ground isn't frozen, you can keep planting into December, and tulips cope best with a late start. Late-planted bulbs may flower slightly later, but they will flower. Don't keep them until next year, as they'll dry out.
How deep should spring bulbs go?
The rule of thumb is two to three times the height of the bulb, pointed end up. Crocuses and other small bulbs go 5 to 8 cm deep, daffodils about 15 cm (dwarf Tête-à-Tête 8 to 10 cm) and tulips 12 to 15 cm. Hyacinths go in around 10 cm deep. Choose free-draining soil, as bulbs rot in wet ground.
When do spring bulbs flower?
Combine them cleverly and you'll have something in flower for three months. A spring with bulbs looks roughly like this:
- February: snowdrops, winter aconites, the first crocuses and early daffodils such as February Gold.
- March: crocuses in full flower, Tête-à-Tête, Scilla siberica, Anemone blanda and the first species tulips.
- April: hyacinths, grape hyacinths, most daffodils, crown imperials and early tulips.
- May: late and double tulips and the fragrant pheasant's eye narcissus.
Exact timings vary from year to year and garden to garden. A cold spring pushes everything back a few weeks, while a warm south-facing wall brings things forward. Plant early, mid-season and late varieties together and one will take over from the next.
Which spring flowering bulbs should you choose?
Each group has its own character. Here's what you'll find in this collection.
Tulips
Tulips are the stars of spring. Our tulip bulbs include Triumph tulips in red, black, pink, purple and white, sturdy Darwin Hybrids, low-growing Greigii and Praestans tulips for the front of the border, doubles such as Double Lilac and Gudoshnik Double, and colour mixes such as Pastel, Blueberry and Prince. They flower from March to May.
Daffodils
Daffodils are reliable and come back every year. Tête-à-Tête, February Gold, Carlton, Golden Ducat, Ice King, Mount Hood, Thalia and White Petticoat are just a few of the varieties. Mice and voles leave daffodil bulbs alone, so they're ideal where tulips struggle.
Hyacinths and crocuses
Hyacinths are for anyone who loves scent, such as the Blue Water mix and the Pastel mix. Crocuses come as large-flowered varieties like Ruby Giant and as species crocuses that flower even earlier. Both look wonderful planted in drifts.
Small bulbs and crown imperials
Snowdrops (Elwesii), winter aconites, grape hyacinths, Scilla siberica and Anemone blanda are small but form carpets of colour together. Many of them are naturalising bulbs that spread by themselves. The crown imperial is the opposite: a tall, eye-catching flower for the back of the border.
Spring bulbs for pots: planting a bulb lasagne
No garden? You can still enjoy spring bulbs. With the lasagne method you plant different bulbs in layers in one garden pot so they flower one after another. Here's how:
- Drainage: choose a pot with a drainage hole and start with a layer of crocks or grit.
- Bottom layer: compost with the largest and latest flowers, such as tulips.
- Middle layer: a layer of compost with daffodils or hyacinths.
- Top layer: crocuses or grape hyacinths, covered with a final layer of compost.
The bulbs find their own way up. Stand the pot outside in a sheltered spot, as spring bulbs for pots need the winter cold too. In a hard frost, move it against the house or wrap it up. Prefer a ready-made combination? Choose a spring bulb collection.
Spring bulbs in borders and lawns
In open ground, allow 50 to 70 tulips or daffodils and 50 to 100 crocuses per square metre. Plant in groups rather than rows for a more natural look, and tuck the bulbs between perennials that come up later to hide the fading foliage.
Crocuses, snowdrops and scilla look beautiful in lawns and under trees. Scatter them loosely and plant where they land. Under deciduous trees they get plenty of light in early spring before the canopy fills in. Hold off mowing until the bulb leaves have turned yellow.
What to do with spring bulbs after flowering
Snip off faded flowers but leave the foliage until it turns yellow. Those leaves feed the bulb for next spring; cut them too early and you'll get fewer flowers. A little bulb fertiliser after flowering helps too.
Daffodils, crocuses and small bulbs can stay in the ground and come back year after year. Tulips give their best display in the first year, so add a few new ones each autumn. Bulbs from pots can be planted out in the garden after flowering. Keep bulbs out of reach of pets and young children, as they aren't edible.
Looking for colour later in the year? Take a look at our summer-flowering bulbs or browse all our flower bulbs.
Order your spring bulbs from Green Bubble
At Green Bubble you choose spring bulbs from a carefully selected range from a specialist bulb grower, with the bulb size, flowering time and planting advice for every variety. Not sure which combination suits your garden? Our Personal Plantshopper is happy to help.
✔ Fresh from the grower
✔ From snowdrops to late tulips, everything for a long spring
✔ Personal advice from our Personal Plantshopper
Plant this autumn and be the first garden on the street to wake up in spring.
