Early Spring Bulbs Are Here

The first hints of spring always seem to take forever to arrive, but you can speed things up a bit by planting early bulbs now. Snowdrops, crocuses and early daffodils are all in stock, and if you get them in the ground this month, you’ll have flowers by February. Sometimes even late January if we get a mild spell.

Snowdrops are proper little survivors. They’ll push through frozen ground and flower when nothing else is bothering. Plant them in groups rather than dotting them about individually – they look far better in clumps. They’re not fussy about where they go, but they do like a bit of shade and soil that doesn’t dry out completely in summer. Under trees and shrubs is ideal. Plant them about 10cm deep and the same distance apart.

You can buy snowdrops ‘in the green’ in January, which means they’ve got leaves on them already. This is actually better than planting dry bulbs in autumn. They settle in more reliably and you can see exactly where you’re putting them. We’ve got several varieties in at the moment, from the common single snowdrops to the fancier double ones. They all do the same job of cheering you up on a grey winter day.

Crocuses come in all sorts of colours – purple, yellow, white, and striped ones too. They’re tougher than they look and will come back year after year if you leave them alone. Plant them in grass for a natural effect, or in pots and containers near the door where you’ll actually see them. They only need to go about 8cm deep. Squirrels sometimes dig them up, the pests, but crocuses are cheap enough that you can afford to lose a few.

Early daffodils are different from the big blowsy ones that come out in March. These smaller varieties flower in late January or February and look much more delicate. Tête-à-tête is the most popular – bright yellow and only about 15cm tall. They’re brilliant in pots because they don’t get blown over in the wind. February Gold is another good early one, slightly taller and a lovely clear yellow. Plant them about 10cm deep in groups of at least five bulbs.

The beauty of these early bulbs is that they flower before most weeds get going, so there’s not much competition. They’re also perfect for brightening up spots that look dull in winter but get too shady later when the trees leaf out.

We’ve got plenty of all three in stock right now. The bulbs are firm and healthy – we check them regularly and bin any that aren’t up to scratch. They’re sold loose so you can buy exactly how many you need. Five bulbs or fifty, doesn’t matter to us.

If you’ve never planted bulbs before, don’t overthink it. Dig a hole, drop them in pointy end up (roots go down), cover them over, and that’s pretty much it. They’re very forgiving. The worst that can happen is they don’t flower, and even then they might surprise you next year instead.

Pop in and grab some while we’ve got a good selection. There’s something really hopeful about planting bulbs in January. You’re making plans for spring, even when it feels like winter will never end.