Growing bulbs in containers is one of the easiest ways to bring spring colour into your garden. Simply plant a few in a pot, forget about them over winter and they’ll emerge without fuss in the spring. To guarantee a spectacular display, you need to plant your bulbs in the autumn – ideally, plant daffodils by the end of September and tulips in November. You can then add bedding plants or perennials to the pot in spring to complete the look.
1 Plant bulbs at a depth of three times their height. Group together but leave a space to add spring-bought plants later on
2 Cover bulbs with multi-purpose compost with added grit to a few cms below the rim. Firm so that there are no air pockets.
3 Water well after planting and cover the container with wire to stop squirrels eating the bulbs. Watch for slugs in spring.
4 Fill gaps in spring with pretty perennials or bedding plants, and water. Feed with diluted liquid seaweed feed during flowering.
Doorstep scent
To get the ultimate spring display, plant your tulip or daffodil bulbs in the autumn and place in a spot in full sun or part shade. This mix is perfect by a doorway as the hyacinths and tiarella are scented. Remove the bulbs when they have finished flowering and plant in the ground, keeping the leaves intact, to encourage them to flower again the following year.
We used
➊ Hyacinth ‘Pink Festival’ x 4
➋ Tulip ‘Holland Beauty’ x 4
➌ Tiarella ‘Spring Symphony’ x 2
➍ Approx 42cm glazed pot
Perfect for patios
Spring’s never
