Autumn is the prime season for planting bulbs, preparing your garden to flourish with colour in spring. For the first time ever, leading horticultural experts Hillier have made spring flowering bulbs available for gardeners nationwide to enjoy, courtesy of the company’s new online shop which launched earlier this year at www.hillier.co.uk.

Hillier Top Tips for growing spring flowering bulbs

With a vast array of high-quality bulbs and decades of growing expertise, Hillier is on hand to help prepare your garden for autumn bulb planting with the easy-to-follow tips below.

“We recommend you purchase your bulbs as soon as they come into store or become available online to ensure you get the best selection,” says Dan Dunbar, Hillier Bulb Expert. “Take your bulbs home and store them somewhere dry and cool until you’re ready to plant them. Smaller bulbs, like galanthus (snowdrops), dry out quickly so plant them as soon as you can after purchase.

“Preparation is key for your spring bulbs. Before planting clear the area that you want to use, turning the soil and incorporating organic matter to improve the structure of the soil and improve plant growth.

“When it comes to planting your bulbs, be aware that different bulbs need to be planted at different depths to get the best from their flowers, you can usually find planting information for your bulbs on their packets. If you’re planting your bulbs in pots, lasagne planting is a popular method to get the most from them. Much like the dish, it involves bulbs being planted in layers, so it is key to choose varieties with different planting depths.”

To encourage growth and regeneration, Dan recommends adding Bulb Starter during the planting process. “Sprinkle a small amount of Bulb Starter under the bulbs when planting to encourage them to develop a secondary root system, this helps the plants take up more feed and regenerate the following year. Applying Fish, Blood & Bone as the bulbs start to die down also aids regeneration and will be a benefit to all bulbs.”

Top 5 autumn bulbs to grow for spring 2023 from Hillier

Get your garden ready for spring colour with these Top 5 recommendations for spring flowering bulbs that you can plant between September and November, ready for an abundance of colour come spring time.

• Narcissi – Minnow (Daffodils)
• Tulips – Queen of the Night
• Alliums – Caeruleum
• English Bluebell
• Hyacinths

As well as being among Hillier’s top 5 picks, they are also available as XL bulb packets on a buy 3 for the price of 2 offer or are £7.99 each.

To accompany its bulbs, and for the easiest of planting techniques, Hillier recommends the Burgon & Ball RHS Stainless Long Handled Bulb Planter, which is available in Hillier Garden Centres for £44.99 (or £39.99 for Hillier Gardening Club members – which is free to join).

Until November Hillier has some special promotions on bulbs with 3 for 2 on XL bulbs, each priced at £7.99, with 15 varieties to choose from including iris, tulips, crocus, daffodil, bluebells, hyacinth and alliums. 2kg daffodil nets are 2 for £12.

Hillier launched its online shop in spring 2022 providing customers with an outlet to shop for high-quality products from the comfort of their home. There is a vast selection of products available for purchase on their website including plants, seeds and bulbs, gardening, outdoor living and wild bird care and wildlife products. The online collection of seasonal plants has been carefully grown at Hillier nurseries in Hampshire, where over 1,000,000 plants are grown exclusively for Hillier Garden Centres and its online shop.

For further information, and to order bulbs, visit www.hillier.co.uk