Emily Hartley
There is nothing quite like the first daffodil of the year pushing through a cold February morning. It lifts the spirits, it tells you winter is loosening its grip, and it costs almost nothing — provided you thought ahead the previous autumn. Spring bulbs are the best-value colour in any British garden: a few pounds of dry, onion-like brown things in October becomes weeks of flowers, and many of them will return year after year with almost no fuss.
This guide covers the bulbs that perform most reliably in UK conditions, how deep to plant them, and how to stretch the display from late winter right through to early summer — the point at which the rhubarb is ready for its first crumble and the local garden is opening its gates for the Easter holidays.
Plant in Autumn, Reap from February
Spring-flowering bulbs need a cold spell to trigger flowering, which is why they are planted in autumn rather than spring. In most of the UK, September to November is the sweet spot: the soil is still warm enough for roots to establish before the frosts arrive. In the south you can push into early December; in Scotland, aim to have everything in by the end of October.
The golden rule is depth. Plant each bulb at roughly three times its own height, measured from the base. That means tulips and large daffodils go in about 15–20cm deep, smaller narcissi and crocuses about 7–10cm. Add a handful of general-purpose bulb fertiliser or bonemeal at planting time, and water them in if the autumn is dry. Deeper planting also helps protect bulbs from squirrels and mice, which adore tulips in particular.
Daffodils and Narcissi: The Reliable Backbone
If you plant only one type of bulb, make it a narcissus. They tolerate almost any soil, they multiply, and they will flower in the same spot for decades. For naturalising in grass or beneath deciduous trees, choose varieties that come back strongly:
- 'Tête-à-Tête' — compact, golden and perfect for pots, window boxes and the front of a border. Flowers in March.
- 'Jetfire' — early, with swept-back orange-yellow petals that catch the low spring sun.
- 'Carlton' — a sturdy, long-lived yellow that looks superb in large drifts.
- Pheasant's eye narcissus — late, white and exquisitely perfumed, ideal for cutting.
Never tie or knot the leaves after flowering. Leave them for at least six weeks so the bulb can build up reserves for next year, and only cut the grass once they have yellowed and flopped.
Tulips: Late-Spring Drama That Earns Its Keep
Tulips give you colour that daffodils simply cannot: deep purples, smoky maroons, flamed reds and creams. They flower from mid-April into May, filling the gap before the perennials get going. In heavy, wet soil they often sulk and rot, so plant them deep, add grit to the planting hole, and consider lifting them after the foliage dies down if your ground is clay.
Good choices include 'Queen of Night' for near-black drama, 'Apeldoorn' for a strong red, and 'Spring Green' for something fresher. Species tulips such as Tulipa tarda are smaller, daintier and far more likely to come back year after year in a sunny, well-drained spot.
Small Bulbs, Big Impact
The earliest colour comes from the little ones. Crocuses, snowdrops and winter aconites will flower in February, sometimes through a dusting of snow, and they are ideal for the front of a border or a lawn that you can leave unmown until April.
- Crocus 'Ruby Giant' and 'Pickwick' — vivid purple and striped lilac, superb in shallow pans or grassy corners.
- Snowdrops — best planted "in the green" just after flowering, when they settle in far more readily than dry bulbs.
- Muscari — grape hyacinths in deep blue, brilliant for edging and for filling pots with spring bulbs.
Plant them generously. A drift of 50 crocuses looks immeasurably better than five dotted about, and bulbs are cheap enough to buy in bulk.
Keeping the Colour Going into Early Summer
The secret to a long season is layering. Plant small early bulbs at the front, daffodils behind them, tulips in the middle, and then follow with alliums or camassia, which flower in late May and June and bridge the gap to early summer perennials.
In containers, use the lasagne method: a deep pot, drainage crocks, then tulips at the bottom, daffodils in the middle and crocuses near the surface, all separated by a couple of centimetres of compost. One pot, three months of flowers.
And when the spring display finally fades, the garden gives you other things to enjoy — purple sprouting broccoli, the first asparagus, wild garlic in the hedgerows. A morning spent deadheading bulbs is well rewarded by an afternoon walk to a nearby bluebell wood, or a picnic at a country house garden opening for the Easter holidays. That is the real pleasure of a British spring: the garden and the season moving forward together, one flower at a time.
