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Bulbs to light the winter scene
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| Thursday, 17th January 2008 |
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IN THE GARDEN WITH PETA MARSHALL
With apologies to Sir Michael Caine (who is actually a very keen and knowledgeable gardener himself): ‘Did you know… that bulbs can flower in winter? Oh yes they can. Not a lot of people know that’!
Most people think of bulbs as the spring-flowering kinds (daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and so on). But there are plenty that colour up the winter scene. Visit parks and gardens at this time of year, and you won’t usually have to look too hard to find some little charmers defying the weather and flowering to their heart’s content.
Let’s look at some of them:
Crocuses: These are regarded as one of the true harbingers of spring, and they’re among the best known and most popular of all the early blooming bulbous plants. But most of them will flower quite happily from February onwards. They are easy to grow, free-flowering and increase well in suitable conditions. Despite flowering early, weak sunshine in mild weather will encourage them to open their flowers wide, making a splendid show particularly when grown in grass. They die back quickly after flowering so it is not usually necessary to restrict grass cutting.
Crocus tommasinianus is one of the first to flower, in late winter. Its soft lavender flowers are small and slender. Look for: ‘Whitwell Purple’ (purplish-blue) and ‘Ruby Giant’ (deep purple) and ‘Spring Pearl’ (cream and yellow).
The Dutch crocuses are the most widely grown. Often sold as mixed colours, you should not overlook the potential of growing smaller groups of the same variety. Look out for the pure white ‘Jeanne d’Arc’, the rich purple-violet ‘Queen of the Blues’, the silvery lilac-blue ‘Vanguard’, and ‘Pickwick’ with its striking purple striped blooms.
Crocus in the Chrysanthus group are free flowering. Growing to around 3in (7cm) in height, they are at their best from late winter. Look for ‘Cream Beauty’ (a lovely soft cream-yellow); ‘Snow Bunting’ (white); and ‘E.P. Bowles’ (clear yellow flowers, feathered with purple on the outside).
Cyclamen: These are best known as winter-flowering pot plants for the home. The hardy forms, however, make graceful and extremely useful plants for growing in shady spots under trees. They are most dramatic when grown en masse, and in time they will grow into large colonies of colour.
Late winter will see Cyclamen coum in all its glory, seemingly quite unaffected by cold weather – in some years it will bloom in early winter, but this cannot be guaranteed.
The pointed buds open to pink or white. Most have rounded leaves with lovely silver and green patterning in the top, and plain dark red on the underside. Although the plants themselves are tough, the leaves can be damaged by a severe frost.
Irises: Many gardeners will be familiar with the summer-flowering tall bearded irises with their stiff sword-shaped foliage. But there is a real beauty that flowers in the depths of winter – the Algerian iris, I. unguicularis. Varieties to look out for are ‘Mary Barnard’ and ‘Palette’ – the latter, as its name indicates, comprises a mixture of several colours.
These should be grown in a sunny border (that is, south-facing) and ideally with the protection of a wall behind them.
Scillas: These can produce a veritable carpet of pale blue, dark blue and near white between mid-winter and mid-spring. The dainty S. bifolia produces two strap-shaped leaves, which open out to allow a 4in (10cm) high stem, holding blue star-shaped flowers, in late winter. ‘Rosea’ is a purple-pink form, and ‘Alba’ is white. S. sibirica has flowers of a deeper blue.
Snowdrops: With their nodding white flowers, snowdrops are one of my favourite winter-flowering bulbs. There are many species and cultivars, yet to the untrained eye they all look very similar. They have a large, almost cult following, with enthusiasts studying the minutia of flower shape, colour, markings and so on.
The common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is the most widely grown form. It grows from 4-8in (10-20cm) high, and produces its finest show in a fertile soil in partial shade.
‘Flore Pleno’ is a double form, and among the named varieties look for ‘S. Arnott’ which is slightly scented, and ‘Viridapicis’ with a green spot on both the inner and outer petals. ‘Lady Elphinstone’ has yellow markings.
Tulips: Among the first to flower are those from the Kaufmannia group; these brighten up gardens starting in late winter. While the straightforward species, T. kaufmanniana, is available it is the named varieties that are best known.
Look for: ‘Heart’s Delight’ (ivory white, with the outside of the petals carmine-red edged with pale rose); ‘Scarlet Baby’, (dazzling scarlet with a yellow base), and ‘Concerto’ (white). Tulips in this group range in height from 5-8in (12-20cm).
Winter aconites: The buttercup-yellow winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) is a really cheery sight in late winter. The cup-shaped flowers, supported by collars of green deeply toothed bracts, distinguish these from other winter plants such as hellebores and snowdrops; they are like nothing else, and every garden should try to make room for one or two of them.
They will seed themselves if the conditions are right, and will in time form a large carpet of late winter colour. Eranthis x tubergenii has larger blooms, and the form ‘Guinea Gold’ is particularly vigorous.
Winter bulbs really are one of the best-kept secrets in gardening. Keep your eyes peeled over the coming weeks, and aim to get your choice of bulbs planted this summer and autumn for flowering next winter. Happy gardening!
This week in your garden
Plant shallots in well-drained humus-rich soil in sheltered gardens.
Chit potatoes by setting seed tubers eye-end upwards in egg cartons or shallow trays in a cool, light place – a spare room is ideal.
Start sowing seeds of pelargonium, lobelia and begonia, which require a long growing season.
Carry out major pruning of large tree branches – as long as the weather is not wet or frosty.
Peta Marshall is the plant centre manager at Priory Farm in Nutfield. Website: www.prioryfarm.co.uk
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