what are people planting for spring?

[GreatHitchenKitchen]

I've just ordered some pale tulips for a darker bit of the garden hoping that they'll stand out in the winter light and some raucous ones for a border next to white wall that gets a lot of sun.

Also scented narcissus.

We've done a new border out front, so have planted industrial quantities of crocus, iris reticulata and anemone blanda out there.

Got a box on the way from Farmer Gracey, not sure I remember what will be in it! Some chionodoxa, definitely, I love it!

I have ordered:

Snowdrops
Chionodoxa mix
Snakes head fritillaries
Pheasants Eye daffodils
Alliums - sphaerocephalon, graceful beauty and purple sensation
Tulips - purple, white and white with purple edges

Over 500 bulbsNow I just have to plant them all when they get here!! Most are going in a wild area of lawn but some in my main flower bed (which needs a few perennials shifting about before I can plant bulbs). Very excited

I planted snowdrop bulbs last year and double headed daffodils last weekend. Bought some allium bulbs so I am going to plant them this evening or tomorrow.

Didn't manage to purchase bluebell bulbs as we have quite a few trees and I would love to develop a little fairy forest area for the children.

500 bulbs
Wow. That will be stunning

@Snowdropsandbluebells

500 bulbs Wow. That will be stunning

I think I got a bit carried away when ordering (they're all so pretty!) but (very) long suffering DH just rolled his eyes and said 'I suppose you'll be wanting some planting help?'

I will probably plant my pack of alliums in 15 mins as I have only 6 bulbs

@Snowdropsandbluebells it's a slippery slope though. You start with 6, you watch them come up, they are beautiful and make your heart sing every time you look at them. And before you know it, you are thinking 'no I will not buy a new pair of shoes even though I really need them, because if 6 alliums make me this happy, imagine how happy I'll be with 60!' 😂

[quote DorotheaFrazil]@Snowdropsandbluebells it's a slippery slope though. You start with 6, you watch them come up, they are beautiful and make your heart sing every time you look at them. And before you know it, you are thinking 'no I will not buy a new pair of shoes even though I really need them, because if 6 alliums make me this happy, imagine how happy I'll be with 60!' 😂[/quote]
Can confirm. I am adding another 50 into the garden because the 50 there already are not enough!

I'm in.. just bought 2 packs of 20 native bluebells

DorotheaFrazil I have a long handled bulb planter, I hope you have one too ! It’s brilliant, just remember to twist it, it’s my favourite toy atm.

I have snowdrops, hyacinth, daffs, muscuri, alliums, anemones, iris reticulata, tulips and crocus. Looking forward to getting them in this week.

New gardener here... have finally this year planted a nice front garden and managed to keep it quite nice.
If I plant a load of spring bulbs will they not interfere with the summer plants?

@housecoat1968 shouldn’t do. Have a read of the description and buy narcissus and tulips that don’t go too raggedy when they’ve finished flowering.

Something like narcissus a tête-à-tête is neat. The tulips you could plant reliably perennial ones so they only go in once.

Anemone Blanda disappears after flowering to come up again next year. Crocus are small bulbs so easy to squeeze in.

Bulbs just need a bit of bare soil, soil. I put some in where I’ve cut back perennial geraniums.

I've got a little border in the front garden that I face out to when I am working from home. I dug it out out this year and have put in a lavender hedge and now I've widened it to put in bright and paler coloured daffodils. I've put in a pot of snowdrops too and a bed of purple and white and a yellow and purple variety of tulips are going in other containers too. Some of these have plants growing in them already so I am not sure if they will take but I've got my fingers crossed that they will.

I've loved looking at my lavender over the summer and I've always found it joyful to see daffodils in the spring time. I planted some white tulips for last spring and it made my heart sing when I walked around the corner and saw them in my front lawn.

I must have planted about 80 bulbs this weekend.

We only moved in early 2020, no bulbs left by any previous owner… so I’ve about 1000 to plant 😂😂. Fritillaries, narcissi, tulips, alliums, anenome blanda and St Brigid, crocus…the children insist on helping, even the toddler, so it may take a while!

Can anyone recommend some spring interest shrubs? I have bulbs but really need some fill some gaps in a bed which only gets going in very late spring/summer. It feels very empty for most of the year. Low growing and semi shade loving. I’m in London so fairly frost tolerant.

Hellebores perhaps? Lovely foliage all year, beautiful flowers. Lots to choose from.

I fancy one of these

www.rhs.org.uk/plants/307007/helleborus-(rodney-davey-marbled-group)-anna-s-red/details

[quote FillyerBoots]@housecoat1968 shouldn’t do. Have a read of the description and buy narcissus and tulips that don’t go too raggedy when they’ve finished flowering.

Something like narcissus a tête-à-tête is neat. The tulips you could plant reliably perennial ones so they only go in once.

Anemone Blanda disappears after flowering to come up again next year. Crocus are small bulbs so easy to squeeze in.

Bulbs just need a bit of bare soil, soil. I put some in where I’ve cut back perennial geraniums.[/quote]
Thank you!

FreeButtonBee I think my genista (broom) flowers in spring, it has yellow pea like flowers. Some can be deciduous and some are evergreen. Forsythia is spring time yellow flowering too.

I’ve been planting bulbs for the 🐿 to find and eat 🥴

This year I had a Helleborus Penny’s Pink and Erysimum Bowes Mauve in flower from February through to June. They were next to a Peony with very red new stems so the combination worked well.

I’ve planted a Coronilla Valentina Citrina this year that is supposed to be winter flowering but has started to flower already.

FreeButtonBee For small plants in semi shade, I’ve planted a dwarf variegated rhododendron and some evergreen ferns so I’ve got colour and texture if not flowers through winter. I’ve also put in Mukdenia and Omphalodes Cherry Brandy for early colour, and snowdrops and Cyclamen would also work well. (I’ve also got an Acer Sango Kaku, a Silver Birch Jacqmontii, Fatsia Spider Web, Aucuba Picturata, and am looking at Cornus for their winter stems but these may be larger than you have space for).