Sweet September

A glorious September day yesterday. I spent the afternoon pulling up annuals which had spread all over, and started planting bulbs in the back garden.

I much prefer the miniature daffodils in the garden; I spent some time yesterday planting 'Minnow' and 'Tete a Tete'. Also planted were a range of Alliums, which give excellent value - the flowers last several weeks, and the heads remain all year.

Today, the weather is not so nice, but I will be in the front garden; here, I will be planting more miniature daffies, as well as a Crocus mixture, and some Anenome blanda. I am also going to plant up a couple of pots with pink and blue hyacinths. These should produce a fantastic perfume when they flower; during the dull winter and early spring, the fragrance of hyacinths, the viburnum and the sweet box (Sarcococca) will bring a bit of glamour to the front garden.

Growing bulbs is fantastic - just plant them in the ground (as a general rule at a depth of three times their height), and nature does the rest - the bulb contains embryonic roots, shoots, leaves and flower - just add soil & water! The BBC website has some useful information on planting bulbs, along with some bulbs to try, and aftercare details:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/plant_bulbs.shtml