Learn About Spring Flowering Bulbs

Which bulbs are spring flowering?

Tulips, narcissus, hyacinths, alliums, snowdrops, crocus … There’s a vast range of spring flowering bulbs which all offer striking colours outside as soon as the temperatures rise in the beginning of spring. 

When to plant spring flowering bulbs?

To avoid frost damage and to give bulbs enough time to start producing roots before it’s too cold, it is best to plant bulbs in autumn. It is also easier to plant at this time of the year as the soil is not too hard to dig!

Some bulbs’ leaves will sprout early in autumn if the cold temperatures are late. No need to panic or cover the leaves since any growth will stop as soon as the cold arrives and the bulbs won’t be damaged.

If you cannot plant your bulbs in autumn, keep them in a cold room or in the fridge in a paper bag (plastic bags would make them rot!) and plant them in late winter. 

Where to plant the bulbs? 

Spring flowering bulbs are perfect for borders or lawn, but also easy to grow in containers. They’ll do best in a partial shade/full sun position but can still do alright in shade, as long as it is not too damp (bulbs hate a soggy soil). Bulbs placed in a darker place probably won’t bloom another year as they won’t get enough light to stock up energy and grow bigger.

How to plant spring flowering bulbs?

Use gloves as a lot of bulbs are toxic. 

Bulbs should be planted flat end down and point end up. However, don’t panic if you got this wrong as when the flower stem will start growing pointing down, it’ll quickly change direction and grow up because it reacts negatively to gravity.

To make certain that the bulbs are well covered when the soil freezes, plant the bulbs at a depth of 3 times their height. And to ensure that they develop well and bloom over several years, space them at a distance of 3 times their size. If you’d rather have a nice bush of flowers, space them just a bulb width apart.

The aftercare

When the bulbs stop blooming in late spring, cut the flower stem and let the leaves die back as they help to store energy for next year. Bulb leaves are like solar panels: the more sunlight they get, the more energy and nutrients they are able to store in the bulb. 

Bulbs will produce multiple baby bulbs that can later be divided.

Did you know...?

• To fight against hunger during WW2, Dutch people ate tulip bulbs... Indeed, tulip bulbs can be eaten, provided that they’re carefully prepared (!) and in small quantities. 

• Grey squirrels try to store fat before winter and dig up tulip bulbs to eat them… They love tulips and crocus, however they won't eat narcissus or hyacinths as they’re poisonous.

• Daffodil is the common English name for narcissus, and jonquil is one type of bulb in the narcissus genus (that includes around 50 species!).