Spring Bulbs: What & When to Plant

Ah, there is nothing in the world like waking up, making a cup of hot coffee, and spending your Sunday morning in a breathtaking spring garden, filled with magnificent flowers. But how does one achieve such a beautiful green space?

The answer is simple: spring bulbs.

Also known as hardy bulbs, these tiny bundles of pure flower power are meant to be planted in the autumn so that you can enjoy a flower-filled garden in the spring. At this point, you are probably asking yourself how, when, and what to plant in your backyard. Worry not – this article will answer all of your questions!

So, if you are:

The Fantastic team has got you covered!

Top 9 spring flower bulbs (List)

Before we get to the actual spring bulbs’ list, it’s important to talk about the difference between spring bulbs and summer bulbs, as many people tend to get them mixed up.

To put it simply, spring bulbs are planted in the autumn months, so that they can flower in the spring. Summer bulbs are planted in the spring, so that they can leaf out in the summer. Now that you know how to tell them apart, we can get back to our list of spring bulb types, beginning with…

1. Tulip

This is one of the most popular flower options out there. The cup-shaped plant comes in all types of colours (with blue being the only exception), which makes it such a preferred garden flower.

The tulip enjoys full sun exposure, so make sure you plant it away from trees and shrubs that may cast a shade over it.

These types of flowers and can also be planted both in flower pots and the garden. Several tulips can be planted together and the close proximity helps create a beautiful and colourful “rug” of flowers to enjoy.

2. Daffodil

The second one on our list is the beautiful daffodil. Like with tulips, you’ll find that daffodils come in all shapes, sizes, and colours, which makes them a very versatile option.

The plants like full sun to partial shade and can be grown in containers and your green space.

3. Allium

If you are looking to create a bee-friendly garden for spring, you can’t go without planting some allium flowers. This sort of plant has a round head made from tiny star-shaped florets and comes in many colours, including purple, pink, blue, yellow, and white.

Allium flowers enjoy full sun and, again, can be planted in containers and the garden.

4. Poppy anemone

As the name suggests, the poppy anemone is a delicate poppy-like flower. The plant has big, satiny petals and a round button centre. In terms of colours, you can grow red, purple, blue, or white flowers.

The poppy anemone enjoys full sun and is the perfect option for any garden.

5. Freesia

Commonly chosen for floral arrangements and wedding bouquets, the freesia is also a spring-blooming flower, loved by many gardeners.

The sweet-scented plant has a trumpet shape that can be white, cream, yellow, orange, red, pink, mauve, lavender, or purple coloured. Freesias enjoy a lot of sun and can be planted in your garden and indoors, in flower pots.

6. Crocus

Despite its weird name, the crocus flower is a very beautiful plant to have. The crocus has fairly big petals and an upright tubular shape.

The flower comes in many colours, including shades of white, pink, purple, blue, yellow, orange, bicolour, and also in patterns. These types of flowers like full sun to partial shade and can be grown in pots and the garden.

7. Canna

The canna plant is definitely one of the most interesting-looking spring flowers. Cannas have spirally arranged petals, which can be yellow, light pink, orange, and blood red.

This type of flower enjoys full sun but can also thrive in partial shade. It’s best that you plant canna flowers in the garden, however, you can still opt for growing them in containers if they are big enough.

8. Dahlia

Ah, no spring-blooming garden is complete without the presence of dahlia flowers. This type of plant has a bunch of small petals, which gives it a voluminous look. You can find dahlias in all types of colours – light orange, red, light purple, white, yellow, salmon, pink, and there are even bi-colours.

Note that this flower needs A LOT of light, so full sun exposure is a must. Also, if you plan to plant dahlia flowers, your best option is your garden.

9. Ranunculus

Ranunculus flowers are very beautiful – there isn’t a second opinion there. If you haven’t seen one, this sort of plant has delicate leaves that are closely stacked together, which gives it this almost fluffy look. In terms of colouring, you can find white, cream, light pink, hot pink, orange, red, yellow, violet, and dark purple flowers.

If you want to grow ranunculus flowers, you should know that they enjoy full sun. You can plant this type of flower in both your garden and in pots. If you opt for the second, just make sure to find a big enough container.

When to plant spring bulbs?

It really does depend on the climate. If you live in a colder area, you should plant your spring bulbs in early autumn – March and April. And if you live in a warmer region, the ideal spring bulb planting time is late autumn – May, and even early winter, in June.

How late can you plant spring bulbs?

If you are worried that it’s too late to plant your spring bulbs, you can calm down – there is still a chance to grow a beautiful garden. If you live in a colder area of Australia, you can plant the bulbs before the temperatures drop significantly and the ground becomes cold and hard to work, and if you are located in a warmer part of the country – you can bury the plant babies even in early to mid-winter.

Where to plant spring bulbs in your garden?

If you provide the proper conditions for your spring bulbs, you can plant them anywhere you want. Two of the most important factors are good soil drainage to prevent the rotting of the bulbs and sunlight. If both of these are present, you can pick any spot in your garden to plant the bulbs.

Of course, there are more capricious types of flowers that have specific requirements – just make sure to do your research before you bury their bulbs, and you’ll be good.

How to plant spring bulbs

Ok, so now you know what to plant and also where and when to plant it. What’s left is to learn how to actually do it. Depending on if you are planning to grow your flowers in pots or the garden, the planting process will slightly differ. With that said, here is what you need to know about both alternatives.

Spring bulb post-planting care tips

Properly planting your spring bulbs is just half of the story – you’ll also need to learn how to take care of them. To make things easier for you, we’ve also included a couple of tips that will help you out:

Do you need help with your garden?

Now that you know everything there is to know about spring bulbs, a question arises: Do you want to spend all of those hours digging holes and burying bulbs? If the answer is no, then look no further than Fantastic Services’ professional flower planting service!

You can book the service completely online and a fully equipped gardener will be at your doorstep in no time. They will help pick the right spot for your future flowers, plant them, and give you care advice! Doesn’t it sound just great?

So, don’t wait any longer and book Fantastic Services’ gardening solutions today!

Takeaways

Did you find our article helpful? Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section below! Happy gardening!