Bulbs
Flower bulbs aren't just for spring: you can have flowering bulbs in your garden all year round with some planning. Our garden centre stocks bulbs seasonally, so you'll find spring and summer bulbs on sale in autumn and late-season bulbs on our shelves in Emersons Green from spring. Choose bulbs for every season to enjoy colour from January till December.
Summer bulbs
It’s the turn of the real showstoppers in summer. You'll find brilliantly-coloured dahlias, flamboyant lilies, sophisticated bearded irises, and easy-going pompom allium bulbs in our garden centre. These flower bulbs will steal the show, adding a splash of colour to your summer garden. You can either plant summer bulbs in containers or directly in the ground. Please remember summer bulbs often love full sun, so planting them in a spot with full sun will result in bright flowers.
When to plant Summer bulbs
Summer stars need some time to establish a strong root system but definitely can’t stand the cold. Therefore, after the chance of frost is over, planting in spring is the best time to plant summer bulbs. You usually plant summer bulbs about two to three times as deep as their size. The only exception is for dahlias, nerines and cannas. They like to be planted right under the surface.
Sunny Summer Bulbs
Spring bulbs
Spring-flowering bulbs are the first that appear after a cold winter. Some spring bulbs will even find their way through a pack of snow. Spring bulbs add a splash of colour to the dull landscape. Please remember, you can never have too many spring bulbs. Go for quantity instead of quality. Fill your garden with crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips from the fantastic range in our garden centre, and double your display by packing them into pots, too.
When to plant Spring bulbs
If you want to enjoy the beauty of crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths in spring, you have to plant your bulbs 6 to 8 weeks before the soil begins to freeze. In the Bristol area, the cool season starts mid-November, so you should plant your spring bulbs in fall, from late September until October, when the ground is still warm and plenty of rainfall will keep the bulbs moist. Spring bulbs need a frosty period to grow.
Our favourite Spring bulbs
Autumn bulbs
You might not think there are still flower bulbs that appear in fall, but yes, there are! We have a lovely selection of autumn bulbs that will give your garden a pretty look when all other plants are faded. Plant lipstick-pink nerines for a brilliant splash of colour in September: other autumn bulbs we stock include autumn-flowering saffron crocus, and brilliant yellow Sternbergia.
When to plant Autumn bulbs
Autumn bulbs need warm soil, so you have to wait longer to plant these stunning flowers, but they’re worth the wait. Plant Autumn bulbs in early summer, between May and June. To extend the flowering period, you can stagger planting with fortnightly intervals. This way, you will be rewarded with long-lasting summer displays.
Autumn's best bulbs
Winter bulbs
Would you believe it if we say there are flower bulbs that flower in winter? Please trust us. Explore pink Cyclamen coum nod and the earliest snowdrops when temperatures are still low. While winter aconites, tiny, delicate winter-flowering irises like Iris danfordiae provide a bright December splash of yellow blooms.
When to plant Winter bulbs
Autumn is the perfect time to plant winter bulbs. Plant cyclamen, snowdrops and Amaryllis bulbs directly in the ground, or use the lasagne method in containers and flower pots. This method makes you enjoy different flowers in any season.
Warm Winter Bulbs
Buy flower bulbs for every season at Elmwood
Please ask the Emersons Green garden centre staff for more information and advice about using bulbs in your garden.
