How to plant bulbs that add colour to your garden

Planting bulbs ensures a bright and beautiful garden, year after year. Many spring bulbs will spread naturally in a lawn, but they are also ideal for borders and containers. Here a some helpful tips to plant bulbs in common applications.

1. Dig a planting hole large enough for a clump of bulbs, or use a slim trowel to make individual holes for each bulb. When planting a cluster of bulbs together – and this will give the best show — make sure that they are spaced at least their own width apart. Give more space to species that will multiply, such as grape hyacinth and crocus. For a natural effect, plant in informal groups rather than symmetrical patterns or regimented rows.
2. Scatter bone meal in the base of the hole to give bulbs a good start; fork it in and water the soil. Incorporate a little grit if your soil is heavy.
3. Gently cover the bulbs with soil, taking care not to knock them over. Firm the surface with the back of a rake and mark the area, so that you don't dig up the bulbs by accident.

1. Drop handfuls of bulbs from waist height, then plant them where they land using a slim trowel or a cylindrical bulb planter. Or cut the outline of a large H with a spade and peel away the turf.
2. Fork in bonemeal if you wish, then plant bulbs firmly before replacing the turf.

Pack a large pot with bulbs for a stunning display – a single variety is most striking.

1. Use potting compost plus a few handfuls of grit to improve drainage.
2. For a dense, long show of blooms, stagger bulbs in two or three layers, five centimetres (two inches) apart in a pot at least 30 centimetres (12 inches) deep.

Carefully chosen, bulbs will provide colour in the garden in every season. Remember, most bulb flowers bloom and then die back, so make sure to have later blooming flowers in your garden.