6 Spring Bulbs to Plant in Autumn for a Cottage Garden
As we head into autumn, as the leaves descend gently from the trees, it’s hard to imagine that in a few months’ time, it will be spring again. Whilst I’d never want to wish a season away before its due time, those of us who relish the opportunity to live alongside the ebb and flow of the natural world, know how important it is to plan ahead.
Planting a little piece of spring
I love seeing the leaves carpet the ground in autumn, not just for their crispness underfoot and beautiful amber colours, but because I know that it is these which will nourish the ground in the seasons to come.
‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.’
This quote is widely attributed to Audrey Hepburn, yet it encapsulates something I love about gardening: the importance of enjoying the current season while keeping one eye on the seasons to come.
We always enjoy the moments in spring, looking out of the window as frost carpets the ground, waiting for the first tiny shoots to appear. It often begins with snowdrops and crocuses, to be followed by the narcissus and tulips, each adding another burst of colour to what has been, through winter, a sepia and dormant landscape.
One of the lovely things about the online world is that we get to see what other people are growing in their gardens, not just in this country, but around the world. I’m sure I’m not the only one who spots a beautiful flower, only to screenshot it, and reverse search the image to find out what it is.
And so, over the course of the year, our garden has slowly accumulated a little list of plants we’ve fallen in love with from afar. Some remain firmly on the wish list; others have eventually found their way into the soil in our garden at home.
With the wonders of technology, it was lovely to add some of these new found tulip and narcissus friends to our garden last year, so if you’re looking for some inspiration and ideas for bulbs to plant now to enjoy in your own garden next spring, here are some of our favourites.
The narcissus
Narcissus, or daffodils, offer some of the first bursts of colour as spring begins to gather pace. It is thought that narcissus were first introduced by the Romans as early as 300 BC. They grew in popularity during the Tudor and Elizabeth periods, mainly for ornamental use, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that they became the huge commercial interest they are today.
We are familiar with the yellow blooms which greet us, hopefully ready for St David’s Day on 1st March, but there are many more varieties to enjoy now, in shades and forms which might once have seemed rather exotic.
Narcissus ‘Replete’
Described as an ‘over-the-top statement on the arrival of spring’, these gorgeous double-flowered daffodils feature ivory outer petals - think vanilla ice cream - and a warm yellow, almost pink, ruffled interior. Narcissus ‘Replete’ is a relatively late-flowering bulb offering large, showy, fragrant blooms from March through to May.
Narcissus ‘Extravaganza’
Very similar to ‘Replete’, Narcissus ‘Extravaganza’ is another double-flowered daffodil with ivory outer petals, slightly edged with green, and full orangy-pink trumpet centres. It’s believed that it took 5-7 years to breed these peony-like daffodils, and at 40cm tall, they make a statement in any cottage garden border. It’s easy to see why we couldn’t resist adding them to ours! Like ‘Replete’, they also bridge the spring-summer gap, flowering from March well into April.
The tulips
Tulips first arrived in England in the 16th century. When William & Mary ascended to the English throne in the late 17th century, they brought Dutch plant collections and a love for tulips, increasing their popularity both in gardens and as cut flowers indoors.
Since then, they have become one of the great stars of the spring garden, bridging the gap between late-winter bulbs such as snowdrops and crocuses and the summer flowers that follow.
Tulip ‘Angelique’
Developed in The Netherlands, Tulip ‘Angelique’ grew originally from the once widely cultivated ‘Granda’. With big peony-like double blooms and blush-pink petals akin to roses, they are late-flowering, offering a welcome burst of colour and, on warm days, scent, from late-April into May.
Tulip ‘Amazing Grace’
One of the newest tulips to appear on the market in recent years, Tulip ‘Amazing Grace’ was presented with an RHS Award of Merit for its double-flowering, deep rose-pink blooms. It’s a lovely tulip to watch grow, as it changes colour as it develops - from a soft lavender with green-edged petals, to a rich pink when the spring sunshine hits. It feels almost as though you’re watching it change before your eyes!
Tulip ‘Lilac Perfection’
Like ‘Amazing Grace’, Tulip ‘Lilac Perfection’ offers late-flowering blooms from April into May. Easily mistaken for a peony, they have deep lilac, rose-like petals. Be careful though, as they prefer to avoid wind and rain, so are best planted in sheltered spots. As all our spring bulbs appear, they are often sheltered by the peonies and roses beginning to spread above - a beautiful way to see how the plants in the garden nurture and nourish each other.
Tulip ‘Finola’
Bred for late-flowering from April into May, Tulip ‘Finola’ has beautifully delicate, pink and white petals which slowly overflow the stems. They look especially spectacular grown in groups for a late-spring sea of pink blooms.
Looking forward to spring
One of the things I love about planting bulbs in autumn is that they require us to wait and be patient. The results aren’t immediate, and in some cases, six months might pass before those tender bulbs become fully grown.
And in that planting, we don’t always know what the outcome will be - the garden so often surprises us. We can choose the bulbs, the colours and the places where we plant them, but we can never entirely dictate what happens next. In planting bulbs now, we place our hope in their growth through the seasons ahead.
As autumn takes hold, by planting bulbs deep underground - by allowing mother nature to nurture and nourish them in the months to come - in a small way, spring has already begun.
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As autumn takes hold, by planting bulbs deep underground - by allowing mother nature to nurture and nourish them in the months to come - in a small way, spring has already begun.