Is it too late to plant spring bulbs? also - any book recommendations?

[boredandrestless]

I want to plant some bulbs in my garden, daffodils, crocuses, maybe tulips, etc. When is the best time to plant them?

Also does anyone have any book recommendations with a year planner kind of layout, eg what to do month to month? I'm after something basic.

Daffs and crocuses should have gone in by September, October tops. Tulips go in in November - stretching to December.

Having said that, if you see any bargains, then buy them, and plant them anyway. All except the fanciest tulips flower year after year,so although you may get no flowers in 2012, they will have recovered by the following year. Just make sure if any bulbs have sprouted, that the tips haven't browned, because they are probably dead already.

Some garden centres may have gift-bulbs going cheap after christmas. The sort of thing that comes ready planted in a pot and will already be growing. You could try and get them out (via a bit of acclimatising) if there are no others available.

As the ground is so warm, you might get away with planting late.

Oops very late then!

Thanks for advice on what to check on bulbs though, if I see any I will get them and plant, like you say they flower year after year so worth it even if I don't see the benefit this spring.

I forgot about my tulip bulbs until a week or so ago but have chucked them in anyway as still very mild here.

Everything is up the creek with the weather anyway. I have primroses, snapdragons, roses out. My crocus bulbs and bluebells are peeping through and my neighbours spring flowering camellia is out. Very strange at Christmas.

As far as books go, I think the Alan Titchmarsh How To Be A Gardener ones are great (not sure if they have the calendar type thing though. But Gardeners World Magazine has really great lists every month of what to do when, gets a bit repetitive after a few years but was massively helpful for me...

Or wait a couple more months and plant autumn flowering bulbs.