Surrey Homes | SH105 | October 2023 | Interiors & Bathrooms Supplement inside

That way the cold weather should kill
off any spores before the bulbs go in.
Planting companions
Your bulbs will look attractive among
other early spring flowering plants.
Biennials are especially effective, because
they flower at the same time and also
tend to be quite frilly and floriferous
– plants like forget-me-nots, bellis and
wallflowers make good ‘skirts’ for the
bulbs and then, as their foliage starts
to die back and become unsightly, the
froth of foliage and flowers will cover
it. Dying foliage out in the borders can
also be hidden (bulb leaves never die
off prettily) with other low spreading
plants, like geraniums, astrantias
and Alchemilla mollis, which will
also grow up and cover the leaves.
After flowering
Once flowering is over, dead-head
to stop them wasting energy making
seed and try to let the leaves die back
naturally – tying them in knots is not
the solution. Some people give them
a feed at this point, but a sprinkle of
general purpose fertiliser over the ground
is welcomed at any point in the spring.
They should start to multiply over
the years if they like the conditions.
Many bulbs bulk up and spread quite
readily, especially those recommended
for naturalising, whereas others seem
to diminish, depending on the variety.
Tulips, especially the really pretty parrot
cultivars and those with frilled or striped
petals are rather fickle and won’t always
appear in future years – the bulbs tend
to split into ‘bulblets’ which take a few
years to gain enough energy to flower.
Potential problems
Bulbs will always perform when first
bought, because they are sold in peak
condition, with everything they need,
packaged up and ready to grow, but
after that it’s up to the prevailing
conditions and the care they receive to
ensure that they keep on flowering.
Bulbs can become ‘blind’, which
means that leaves grow, but no flowers
appear. It’s a sign that they’ve run out of
energy, usually because they’re congested.
If this happens, lift and separate them,
replant and feed with some bonemeal, or
a specialised bulb feed.
Tulips do not like being left in damp
soil all year. If you lift them (and have
the time and inclination) be sure to store
them somewhere dry and away from
pests until it’s time to plant them again.
Buy good sized, nice quality bulbs
– and aim to plant them as soon as
you can after they arrive. If they are
left in their packs for too long they’ll
succumb to infections. Tulips should
really be planted in November once
conditions are cooler and the viruses
in the soil have become less active.
Try to plant bulbs – especially those
in borders – really deep. This improves
flowering and may prevent you slicing
through them later in the year, once
you’ve forgotten where you planted them!
To book a gardening course,
contact Jo on 07923 969634 or
see hornbrookmanor.co.uk
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