Can someone enlighten me about bulbs? (Warning: Spring Post!)

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by RoisinMcGuire, Jul 24, 2024.

  1. RoisinMcGuire

    RoisinMcGuire Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2024
    Messages:
    37
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Scotland
    Ratings:
    +23
    Hi all,

    Hope you are all well and have had some sun this week! It's been a rather dismal summer eh.

    I've rather given up on summer planting now, and I'm eyeing up bulb packages to plant in September/October.

    Last year I put 1000 crocus bulbs through the grass. This year, I want to plant a mixture of things in my pathway border leading up to house.

    In there currently are perennials, mostly flowering from June/July, plants that grow from ground up after winter.

    My question is - can I plant grape hyacinth, normal hyacinths, tulips etc packed around where my existing plants root balls will be, without them making a negative impact? By the timings, I assume the spring bulbs will have died down enough in time to give primacy to the perennials? Or is that not how it works.

    Can someone please enlighten me, or even show me pictures of your set up - it'd be much appreciated!
     
  2. RoisinMcGuire

    RoisinMcGuire Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2024
    Messages:
    37
    Gender:
    Female
    Location:
    Scotland
    Ratings:
    +23
    Hi all,

    Hope you are all well and have had some sun this week! It's been a rather dismal summer eh.

    I've rather given up on summer planting now, and I'm eyeing up bulb packages to plant in September/October.

    Last year I put 1000 crocus bulbs through the grass. This year, I want to plant a mixture of things in my pathway border leading up to house.

    In there currently are perennials, mostly flowering from June/July, plants that grow from ground up after winter.

    My question is - can I plant grape hyacinth, normal hyacinths, tulips etc packed around where my existing plants root balls will be, without them making a negative impact? By the timings, I assume the spring bulbs will have died down enough in time to give primacy to the perennials? Or is that not how it works.

    Can someone please enlighten me, or even show me pictures of your set up - it'd be much appreciated! :please:
     
  3. Plantminded

    Plantminded Head Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2024
    Messages:
    1,052
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Wirral
    Ratings:
    +3,478
    Yes, the bulbs will be fine, without affecting your dormant perennials @RoisinMcGuire. The only thing to bear in mind is that it’s best to leave the foliage of the bulbs to die down after they’ve flowered, normally for about six weeks, so try to avoid planting the bulbs too closely to your perennials in case the dying foliage blocks out light, although this won’t deter most perennials!
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • RoisinMcGuire

      RoisinMcGuire Gardener

      Joined:
      Mar 24, 2024
      Messages:
      37
      Gender:
      Female
      Location:
      Scotland
      Ratings:
      +23
      That's brilliant, thank you very much :biggrin: incidentally the exact news I wanted to hear haha.
       
      • Like Like x 1
      • RoisinMcGuire

        RoisinMcGuire Gardener

        Joined:
        Mar 24, 2024
        Messages:
        37
        Gender:
        Female
        Location:
        Scotland
        Ratings:
        +23
        One last note - if you have them, do you relift tulips every year after they're done?
         
      • Plantminded

        Plantminded Head Gardener

        Joined:
        Mar 13, 2024
        Messages:
        1,052
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired
        Location:
        Wirral
        Ratings:
        +3,478
        No, I leave them in but that’s because I have dry sandy soil and winters are quite mild here. It really depends on your soil, location and climate. Many tulips don’t repeat flower reliably but l’ve found that the lily flowered varieties like Ballerina do here. Species or botanical tulips are better at repeat flowering but the choice is a little limited. I like to change the colour combinations sometimes so often treat them as annuals and dig them up when I want a change. This year’s colour combination was a mistake so I’ll have to do some serious planning:biggrin:.
         
        • Like Like x 1
          Last edited: Jul 24, 2024
        • fairygirl

          fairygirl Total Gardener

          Joined:
          Oct 3, 2020
          Messages:
          2,500
          Occupation:
          retired
          Location:
          west central Scotland
          Ratings:
          +5,353
          Tulips won't tend to last long - especially the 'usual' types. Only a handful of those are reasonably reliable, as already said. Even the species ones can disappear here due to wet conditions. I only grow them in raised beds, and also pots. I mainly treat the bigger tulips as annuals, and just accept that I may only get one or two reappearing.
          The biggest problem will be getting them in without damaging the roots of the perennials, but it depends on the size of the bulbs. Small ones aren't put in as deeply, so they're easier. Hyacinths are big, so you'd just have to be more careful with those. Most perennials can stand a bit of disturbance though, without it having a long term effect on them. :smile:

          Just be aware that the blue grape hyacinths can really take over....
           
          • Agree Agree x 2
          • Like Like x 1
          • fairygirl

            fairygirl Total Gardener

            Joined:
            Oct 3, 2020
            Messages:
            2,500
            Occupation:
            retired
            Location:
            west central Scotland
            Ratings:
            +5,353
            I think you've duplicated your query @RoisinMcGuire - some of us have already replied on the other thread :)

            I'd say this is more like a normal summer over here in the west, rather than those horrible, very hot, recent ones, but it's also been much warmer over the last four or five months, so the wet days have been more pleasant! ;)
             
            • Like Like x 1
            • JWK

              JWK Gardener Staff Member

              Joined:
              Jun 3, 2008
              Messages:
              32,336
              Gender:
              Male
              Location:
              Surrey
              Ratings:
              +49,664
              I've merged the duplicate thread here it certainly causes confusion @RoisinMcGuire
               
              • Like Like x 1
              • JennyJB

                JennyJB Keen Gardener

                Joined:
                Mar 13, 2024
                Messages:
                699
                Gender:
                Female
                Location:
                Doncaster, South Yorkshire
                Ratings:
                +2,042
                Most tulips need to bake in the sun in summer if they're to have any chance of coming back the following year, so they don't do well in amongst perennials which grow up and shade them in the summer.
                For me the big exception has been Tulip bakerii "Lilac Wonder" which has been spreading through my border amongst perennials and small shrubs for probably 30 years since I first planted a small supermarket packet of them. I have high hopes for T. "Little Beauty" but that's only been in for a couple of years so I can't say how it will do in the longer term.
                 
                • Like Like x 1
                • Goldenlily26

                  Goldenlily26 Super Gardener

                  Joined:
                  Mar 20, 2024
                  Messages:
                  702
                  Gender:
                  Female
                  Occupation:
                  Retired
                  Location:
                  Cornwall
                  Ratings:
                  +2,003
                  I think the main problem with planting up herbaceous borders with bulbs is it makes maintainance difficult. The bulbs get damaged during weeding and planting replacements.
                   
                  • Like Like x 1
                  • Thevictorian

                    Thevictorian Gardener

                    Joined:
                    Mar 14, 2024
                    Messages:
                    278
                    Ratings:
                    +429
                    Tulips here get grown in pots for the first year, so it's easier to get a good display and then I plant them out in the garden, cramming them into any space I see. Some come back, some don't, but you get a hint of colour here and there.
                    If I'm planting in grass or for a more perminent planting then tulips don't get much thought because the blooms aren't as reliable as that of other bulbs.
                     
                    • Like Like x 1
                    • RoisinMcGuire

                      RoisinMcGuire Gardener

                      Joined:
                      Mar 24, 2024
                      Messages:
                      37
                      Gender:
                      Female
                      Location:
                      Scotland
                      Ratings:
                      +23
                      Thank you very much I'll check out Ballerina.
                       
                      • Like Like x 1
                      • RoisinMcGuire

                        RoisinMcGuire Gardener

                        Joined:
                        Mar 24, 2024
                        Messages:
                        37
                        Gender:
                        Female
                        Location:
                        Scotland
                        Ratings:
                        +23
                        Thanks fairygirl :smile: the blue grape variety I looked at is a lighter blue than the normal, I'll need to check if they are equally prolific.
                         
                      • RoisinMcGuire

                        RoisinMcGuire Gardener

                        Joined:
                        Mar 24, 2024
                        Messages:
                        37
                        Gender:
                        Female
                        Location:
                        Scotland
                        Ratings:
                        +23
                        Thanks for doing that! My internet did glitch a bit when I posted. Didn't realise it'd done that - my apologies.
                         
                      Loading...

                      Share This Page

                      1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                        By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                        Dismiss Notice