Not much to do during lockdown? Are you bored of being bored? Why not plant your Spring and Summer flowering bulbs?

You may be thinking it’s way too early to be planting your bulbs, but to your surprise most bulbs actually need these initial cold temperatures to stimulate their flower formation and begin their root growth, such as crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils…

Crocuses especially are known for being weather resistant and also produce a valuable source of nectar to pollinate insects, making your garden wildlife-friendly!

When planting Spring flowering bulbs you should take into consideration the following factors:

• The Location: Most flowering bulbs prefer a sunny area to achieve the perfect bloom! This is very common amongst most of the spring bulbs but in exception, snowdrops prefer a more shady location!
• Bulbs say NO to wet soil so make sure your area has a good soil drainage so the bulb won’t rot!
• If rodents tend to eat your bulbs a good tip is to sprinkle red pepper in the planting hole to deter them from coming near!

Summer bulbs provide you with not only a beautiful bloom in your garden but they can also look splendidly as fresh-cut flowers to brighten your home in these gloomy times!

Some of these beautiful bulbs include; dahlias, lilies, agapanthus and begonias. 

Some planting tips for growing Summer bulbs:

• To get the best outcome of your bulbs you can soak them in a bucket or tray of water, this will help them wake up and will give them a head start when planted!
• Beheading will not only encourage more growth but it will increase the flowering season.
• Make sure to use a multi-purpose compost and to water them regularly around 3 times a week!

Need some tools to get you started?

At Upcountry we not only provide you with all your favourite bulbs but we also provide multi-purpose compost, and to make it even easier we have bulb planters!

There is no excuse to not be planting your spring and summer bulbs, come and check it out today!