[yummy]

I'm about to order a load of bulbs from the J Parker catalogue. I want to 'landscape' the area beside our shed with nice flowers; some for cutting and some not.

Anyway, the area by the shed is currently covered with black plastic so all the weeds have died off. Before I order my bulbs I want to make sure I know what I am doing and have a plan (don't want to waste money etc).

When do I put the bulbs in please? Will they all go in at the same time roughly, or do they vary for each variety?

What do I need to do to the ground before I put the bulbs in? Nothing has been grown in that spot for at least two years. It just had weeds on it and broken slabs.

thanks  

[wellybabe]

I planted a new area that I dug out next to my shed last Autumn.  The plot had`nt been used for a few years and was very overgrown; so I made a raised bed and dug it all over removing all weeds. The soil did`nt look very good very dried and lacking in nutrients.  Next I dug in some compost that had been breaking down in the compost bin at home for many months. I bought lots of spring bulbs, anemones and pansies; just to have something to look forward to.  Most spring bulbs want planting from late September onwards; although tulips are better for waiting until early November.
I even bought a little border to make it decorative from `Instore` for a couple of pounds.

Of course  you can still use the border for your summer flowers and salad crops.

What I will say is that it was well worth the wait!

Good Luck Yummy and enjoy your plot.

[yummy]

thanks for that info  

My only worry is that part of ground can get flooded if there is heavy rain over a long period (it has only happened twice though). I'm just a bit reluctant to put bulbs in there incase we get crazy rain and they go rotten. Perhaps we need to raise it like you did. Incidentally our spot is beside the shed too.

[Trillium]

If you feel there's a chance of temporary water pooling, then you'd best raise a growing bed. No bulbs can handle water for any length of time, especially in spring when they're trying to grow. Pretty bulbs are tulips, which are put in very late fall. Good ones for 'naturalizing', aka spreading on their own, are daffodils and jonquils. Bluebells are also very nice but make sure you get the true English bluebells and not the rampant Spanish bluebells. Snowdrops are always a huge hit and need no care, multiplying over the years, same with crocus.

[yummy]

Ah ok thanks. Think I may put them somewhere else. Need to have a rethink since wherever I put them, they will be staying there a long time hey.

thanks

[chimaera]

In a similar topic, I am thinking of putting some bulbs in the allotment to use a cut flowers (I worked out I spend nearly as much on flowers as on salads), and was thinking of 50 each of V early, early, mid and late season daffs, and maybe some long stem tulips and anemones. I would like to plant in blocks and would rather leave them for a few years before having to lift them so i can put salad crops over them when they die down.
Anyone got any idea about planting distances, or how many bulbs per square metre?

[wellybabe]

In a similar topic, I am thinking of putting some bulbs in the allotment to use a cut flowers (I worked out I spend nearly as much on flowers as on salads), and was thinking of 50 each of V early, early, mid and late season daffs, and maybe some long stem tulips and anemones. I would like to plant in blocks and would rather leave them for a few years before having to lift them so i can put salad crops over them when they die down.
Anyone got any idea about planting distances, or how many bulbs per square metre?

If you google in`Flower Bulb Planting Tips` it should bring up a page `Flower Gardening Made Easy` with all the tips in easy to follow stages.

Hope this helps.  Welly