Top 10 Spring Flowering Bulbs
Daffodil ‘Tete a Tete’
For a dwarf daffodil that will perform brilliantly in pots, containers, beds and borders look no further than ‘Tete a Tete’. It’s deservedly popular and has even been awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Plant it into autumn and winter hanging baskets and bedding displays so that it brightens the early spring as the winter displays fade. The deep golden flowers, with two or three to a stem, are simply divine. Perfect for small gardens, limited space and anywhere where a spark of golden light will brighten up the garden. Plant in full sun or partial shade.
Allium ‘Purple Sensation’
When you want a wow factor in the early summer border plant Allium ‘Purple Sensation’. Each bulb bears a purple globe of miniature star shaped flowers, held on a tall stem. They look fantastic mixed with grasses and prairie type plants and the seed heads are attractive throughout the summer and autumn months. It’s another bulb that holds the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the RHS. Plant in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil.
Tulip ‘Yellow Spider’
Some tulips have more wow factor than others; Tulip ‘Spider’ is one of those. It has fiery redbright yellow, spider like blooms with yellow centresfrilly edges that light up the spring garden. It’s eye catching, dramatic and adds colour and vibrancy to beds, borders and containers. It is also good as a cut flower. Flowers in May, needs a dry sunny site.
Tulip ‘Ballerina’
Elegant tulips make fabulous striking displays in pots or en masse in the flower border. Tulip ‘Ballerina’ is a graceful Lily Flowered tulip with warm, peachy orange flowers in April/ May. Grow in clumps of the same colour for dramatic results. Plant extra for use as cut flowers. Position in full sun for the best results.
Scilla nutans ‘British Bluebell’
There’s something really special about the beautiful blue flowers of the British Bluebell; the richly scented flowers nod in the breeze and are the perfect addition to woodland gardens, and wildflower meadows. Naturalise them into the edges of the lawn or add them to border displays for stunning spring displays. Plant them in shade or under shrubs to preserve their rich blue colour. To preserve the integrity of the English British bluebell it’s essential to choose purebred bulbs and not hybrids. Unwins only sells genuine strains of the true English British Bluebell; it’s your guarantee that you are helping to preserve this beautiful indigenous British flower.
Crocus Large Flowered Blue
For an easy to grow spring flowering bulb that produces fabulous purple flowers Crocus ‘Large Flowered Blue’ is the choice. It looks fantastic when naturalised in grass but is also dramatic enough to grow at the front of a border, in rockery or in pots and containers. Why not underplant some winter bedding in hanging baskets with this stunning purple flowered crocus. It will herald the start of the spring with style, statement and stunning presence. Plant into well-drained soil in a sunny or lightly shaded position for the best results. Crocus can also be grown indoors for early displays.
Scilla sibirica
Another stunning blue spring beauty is the squill. Brightly coloured, nodding, rich blue flowers with a pale blue splash are borne on curving stems in March and April. These are low growing flowering bulbs, about 15cm (6in) tall and look fabulous naturalised in short grass or growing in wild flower areas. Once planted you can leave them to perform year after year. Plant in sun or dappled shade.
Daffodil ‘Minnow’
Some daffodil flowers are scented and Narcissus ‘Minnow’ is one of them. It bears two or three pale, lemon yellow flowers on each stem. The elegant, small flowers have a short trumpet and look fantastic with bluebells, forget-me-nots or other blue spring flowers. Plants grow up to 30cm (12inches) tall and look great naturalised in medium length grass.
Daffodil ‘Paper White Grandiflorus’
When you think of indoor narcissi, the chances are you visualise ‘Paper White’. It’s a tried and tested variety that is commonly grown indoors for early, richly scented flowers. ‘Paper White’ bears several creamy white flowers on each stem, which seem to exude a perfume far stronger than their size and shape suggests. It is the indoor narcissi, is easy to force by growing in pots of Westland Bulb Planting Compost or even in vases of water and the results are simply stunning. Plant a few every 2-3 weeks from the middle of September and you will enjoy indoor, scented flowers from November until late January. Divine.
Tulip ‘Orange Princess’
Homegrown cut flowers are far more wonderful than those you buy in the shops. Plant a swathe of Tulip ‘Orange Princess’ in the border, or a row in the vegetable garden and you can harvest a few of the stunning flowers for indoor décor. This is a fabulous, double, late, paeony-flowered tulip in subtle, warm shades of orange. The flowers are flamed with purple and are pretty weather resistant too. You know it’s a good one when it’s been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Plant in a sunny position.
