Home > Flower and garden articles > Say bye, bye to the Winter blues by planting some early flowering bulbs.

Say bye, bye to the Winter blues by planting some early flowering bulbs.

As much as I enjoy the sparse, bare beauty of Winter, by the time August comes around I`m already eagerly anticipating the glory of Spring. By planting early flowering Spring bulbs I don`t have to wait until the days pass well into September before I start indulging in the bounty of Spring.
You can already be enjoying drifts of sunny gold, splashes of shiny red and dabs of brilliant blue well before much of the garden has had the chance to even stir from its Winter hibernation. These blooms are the early Spring bulbs.
Sighting the first bulbs for the season always sends the spirits soaring because they`re the surest sign that much nicer days are nigh. There can hardly be a better way to be launched into Spring!
Part of the pure delight of Spring bulbs is that the early ones often appear unexpectedly - on a dull day - usually long before you`d expect Spring colour.
It`s the early flowering bulbs which are amongst the most welcome because their delightful (and often unexpected) appearance can bring a much shorter end to the sparse, dull Winter display! They give your garden a head start to Spring.
Plant loads of early bulbs now and, almost before you know it, you`ll be enjoying drifts of Daffodils, patches of deep blue Grape Hyacinths and the fresh fragrance of Freesias as they sway in the breeze.

Hyacinths

Hyacinths are amongst my favourite ways to kick-start Spring since their immaculate blooms bring with them the heady fragrance of Spring as early as mid August.
For a real treat I fill loads of little pots with Hyacinths (each with 3 or more bulbs) so that I can easily bring one or more inside with me in order to fill the house with their gorgeous Spring scent.
I also plant a clump of Hyacinths by the front door so that I catch a whiff of their uplifting fragrance as I rush off to work each morning and am equally refreshed by them every time I return home. Aromatherapy at its best!

Anemones

Absolutely adorable! Resistance is useless since these bright little faces start popping up in late Winter (or earlier if the clump is left in from year to year) in the most cheerful colours - reds, blues, crisp white and hot pink!
The generosity of these bulbs is astounding since they seem to continue pushing up bloom after bloom, month after month!
The lush, Spring green foliage of these bulbs is also valuable since it appears in fluffy abundance also in late Winter - it`s great for filling in the empty gaps around the garden before the bigger bulbs appear.

Grape Hyacinths

The deep blue of these bulbs is simply electric - especially since you`ll first see them as a bright spot on an otherwise typical dull Winter`s day. These bulbs are invaluable for filling pockets in the garden with bursts of brilliant blue and they are greatly self-reliant. Simply plant them and then forget them - at least, that is, until they flower! They will easily naturalise and multiply - so don`t plant too densely since they will clump up of their own accord over a couple of years. (How easy is that!)
I plant pockets of these along the drive so that I can enjoy their brilliance during my many comings and goings!

Rock Tulips

The little Rock Tulips (to 20cm tall) are truly delightful since they pop up very early in the season and can, in cooler climates, be left in the ground for many years. They`re very cute and some varieties (such as Red Riding Hood) have foliage decorated in a delicate mosaic pattern. I also enjoy these Tulips tucked into pots or little pockets of the garden!

`Pink Impression` Tulip

Large voluptuous soft pink blooms are like the forward party to the main Spring show of Tulips. They always arrive early and look magnificent - very much the promise of things to come!
I love these Tulips when combined with the lovely blue, white and pink of Anemones - the combination is gorgeous.

Spring Star Flowers

Enjoy a sea of cheeky star-shaped blooms that first appears in late Winter and then lasts and lasts and lasts until well into Spring! These flowers are now available in crisp white, soft china blue and dark royal blue.
The clumps of lush, grassy foliage are also quite valuable since they appear mid way through Winter - helping to fill the bare patches in the garden.

Dutch Crocus

The exquisite blooms - in lavender, purple, white or streaked - are wonderful for creating carpets in the lawn or patches of colour under the deciduous trees. These bulbs are delightfully easy to naturalise and will pop up every year well before you might expect Spring flowering bulbs to be in bloom.

Daffodils

Daffodils are affectionately referred to by many as being the “Heralds of Spring“. And rightly so since they do stand up straight and tall to trumpet the imminent arrival of the Spring bulb show. But it`s their cheery nature that`s also irresistible - you can`t help
smiling when you see their sunny golden blooms dancing in the breeze of a late Winter`s day.
To ensure your Spring starts early and lasts well, plant some of the Winter flowering varieties (including Soleil D`Or and Paperwhite) which can be followed by the early Spring varieties including Ice Follies, Erlicheer, August Pink and the miniature Daffodils. Blend in some of the mid and late flowering varieties also (such as the Double and Butterfly Daffodils) and you`ll be sure of a lasting parade of cheerful colour - bound to keep your disposition bright!

Last Reviewed: 18/02/2004 9:33:41 AM

Shopping

Garden Advice

Be Inspired

What's on at Tesselaar

Our Company