new bulbs

[Hiahia]

Has anyone started ordering new Autumn/Spring bulbs?
What did you get? What are your plans with them? Pots or ground?

This will be my first year being able to be serious about this (rather than buying 3/4 tulips bulbs at the market) - so not too sure how to go about it.

I would love to do lush flower tables in the manner of Claus Dalby... Need to learn about layering the bulbs for longer displays!

One more photo for good measure...
This one from Clive Nichols if I remember correctly.

My front garden is very much a container garden with trees in the ground so yes, I grow bulbs in pots. I cannot be bothered with tulips as much as I like them as I'm too lazy to excavate them after each flowering and store them until autumn so I stick to daffodils. I've made the mistake in the past of not putting enough bulbs in my pots and having a rather pathetic display as a result. My advice regarding buying bulbs is to buy the biggest you can afford, they'll be able to tough out damp winter conditions better than puny ones.

I'm trying to extend the season of my daffs this year so I'm looking to buy poeticus bulbs which flower later than the others. I've bought good bulbs from Crocus in the past and J Parkers.

Re layering -This might be useful www.saga.co.uk/magazine/home-garden/gardening/advice-tips/container-planting/planting-bulbs-in-layers-for-spring-colour.aspx Layering is all about putting the bulbs together which will flower at different times.

In the back garden, I have soil so I'm looking to plant some allium bulbs. I'll be buying mine from Sarah Raven in the next few weeks.

I have alliums in a bag next to my desk, bought at Hampton Court - but the spot where they are going is still very full and they won't be going in for a few months yet. I am not buying any more tulips to put in pots - they never go well for me (forget to water them enough I think).

My back garden is getting a revamp on the theme of purple and silver/white so hopefully the alliums will add some height.

Oh, I forgot to mention about the growing conditions of spring/early flowering bulbs - they all like good drainage. I add lots of grit to my compost and I often put the pots on feet to assist the drainage as I have had rotting bulbs in the past due to waterlogging.