Top 10 Bulbs to Plant in Autumn

Spring flowering bulbs are a fantastic way to ensure early colour in your borders, and now is the time to select, and plant, your favourites. We have an extensive selection of bulbs now in stock that will add colour, interest and structure to your borders early in the season, before herbaceous perennials and shrubs have begun to grow.

From the wonderful architectural charm of alliums through to the dizzying array of tulips in all of their colours and forms, there are sure to be ideal choices to suit the display you desire.

Some of our favourites include:
Fritillaria Imperialis Aurora ‘Crown Imperial’: with stunning orange flowers and standing at an ultimate height of 70cm, this beautiful variety makes an excellent focal point between shrubs.

Fritillaria Meleagris AGM (Snake’s Head Fritillary): beautifully delicate wild flowers with nodding heads of chequered pink and cream, they naturalise well in borders, rockeries, grass and wild gardens.

Tulip ‘Paul Scherer’ AGM: selected as the darkest tulip, this variety will reward with the deepest, velveteen shade, showing almost black. A striking plant, particularly when planted in groups.

Tulip ‘Fire of Love’: gorgeous scarlet, goblet-shaped blooms set against distinctive variegated foliage make this spring flower a fabulous choice.

Allium Giganteum: growing to a height of 125cm and bearing purple flower heads that grow up to 20cm across this is an ideal choice for instant impact at the back of the border. Beloved by pollinators, it is an excellent choice for the wildlife friendly garden too.

Allium Caeruleum: highly prized for its true-blue colour Allium Cearuleum provides dozens of star-shaped blue flowers that grow to 3cm across, atop 60 cm stems and are beloved by bees and butterflies. It naturalizes easily, forming slow growing clumps that will return year after year.

Camassia Leichtlinii Caerulea (Indian Lily): masses of dark blue, star-shaped flowers are held on the top of tall spikes growing to a height of 75cm. Good naturalisers and excellent in the middle or back of the border, in wild gardens or beside ponds.

Erythronium ‘Kondo’ (Dog’s Tooth Violet): ideal for those difficult, shady spots, these exquisitely delicate flowers will thrive in rich garden soil under trees and shrubs.

Puschkinia Scilloides Libanotica AGM (Russian Snowdrops): beautifully delicate white flowers are finely striped with icy blue and make an excellent choice for naturalising under light shrubs, in woodland, borders, rockeries, wild gardens and between paving.

Colchicum AGM: an autumn crocus that can be planted now for display in September/October. They can also be allowed to flower indoors before planting out without affecting next year’s flowers.

(Blog post written by Jo Chamberlain)

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