November in the Garden
As we head into winter the team at Lyn in Bloom are thinking forward to next spring. We have already started planting a few daffodils and some winter bedding to extend the season of interest and keep our area looking good.
Useful winter bedding to plant now are things like Pansy, Viola, Primula and Bellis. These are all tough plants and will flower right through the winter and on into spring for you. If the weather turns incredibly cold they will pause but carry on again as soon as we defrost! You can always add trailing ivy, small shrubs with berries or evergreen leaves if you want to add a bit more drama.
You can also plant Wallflowers and Sweet William now – they are available in garden centres etc. these are Bi-annuals, plants purchased now will flower in May, giving bright jolly displays, scent and food for early bees too.
November is the perfect time to plant tulips, there is a huge range available at garden centres, supermarkets, DIY chains and bargain type shops. They are very easy to grow, either in the ground, when you plant them around twice as deep as the bulb – if in doubt always go deeper. Or, you can grow them in pots – the depth isn’t quite so critical in this case.
A fun pot to make up is a ‘Bulb Lasagne’ – this is layers of bulbs in the same pot. Put a couple of inches of compost in the bottom of a big pot, then (for example) some tulip bulbs, another couple of inches of compost, some daffodil bulbs, more compost and some crocus. Cover with compost and perhaps a top layer of grit which will keep water from splashing the flowers and inhibit weed growth. Put it in a sheltered position by your house wall, to protect from the worst of the wet weather. You can choose flowers that co-ordinate or colours which clash and are vibrant, whatever takes your fancy. As spring arrives you will be treated to a wonderful display of flowers over a decent period.
For those of us who struggle with winter and cannot wait for spring, the team at Lyn in Bloom recommend growing a small pot of Iris reticulata on your doorstep. These delightful tiny iris flower in February and really are a harbinger of spring.
We cannot recommend winter bedding and bulb planting highly enough, let’s bring a little bit of floral joy into the winter this year.
