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Perennial plants on the February to order list

Perennial plants on the February to order list

Perennial plants are a must for any garden they bring a wide selection of colour and quality to the herbaceous garden from the traditional cottage to the new inspiring selections, their colourful flowers and foliage will provide impact for many months. Perennial plants die back in the winter and send up new grow inn the spring.

The beauty of Perennial plants is how you can use them, plant them in groups for drama and visual impact or use as a specimen plant to create a stunning feature, perennial plants work well when planted amongst shrubs and will add interest and depth too summer bedding, many perennial plants can be used in containers and window boxes.

Perennial plants are ideal for those new to gardening most are easy to grow and very rewarding, the also make excellent starter plants for children and help inspire them in the garden. Experienced gardeners can weave their magic with the endless varieties of perennial plants available with such a huge colour pallet and abundant flower and foliage shape they are hard to resist.

You need to divide perennial plants regularly this helps to ensure vigorous and healthy growth for many years, if you divide when in growth it’s important to keep them well watered, the best time to divide is when they are dormant between autumn and spring depending on the type of perennial plant and the flowering time.

Sit back and watch the spring and summer perennial plant masterpiece begin

Lilium Groups

Lilium Groups

Are Lilium difficult the answer is no; given the right conditions Lilies will be happy and most will happily naturalise. Lilium make excellent garden plants and are ideal for pots, because some soil conditions are not good for lilies grow them in pots and place in the herbaceous border between shrubs and perennial plants.

Asiatic Lily Group are not scented and pollen free, they have a large colour range than some of the other groups from pure white, pink, yellow, dark red to almost black, the flowers tend to be more upward facing and are quiet hardy, plant were they can be left undisturbed. Asiatic lilies like alkaline soil.

Oriental Lily Group bring there heady fragrance to the garden, there flowers are large and wide the colour combination is not as varied as the Asiatic group they tend to be white, pink to deep carmine red. There is now a new range of double Orientals Miss Lucy is a delightful pure white with a pink flush. Oriental lilies like acid soils if planting in pots use ericaceous compost.

Orienpet Lily Group is a combination of Oriental and Trumpet Lilium, fragrant and very tall with a good colour range from white, pink, yellow, red and orange, the longer this group is left undisturbed the taller they become you sometimes see them advertised as tree lilies, they can grow as high as 7ft and are ideal for the back of the border.

Trumpet Lily Group have wide, large trumpet shaped flowers with a heady perfume they tend to be tall, Regale is one of the best know in the trumpet group with it’s pure white flowers with magenta flush on the reverse of the petals, plant and leave undisturbed they take little feeding and will be fine in poor soil.

Specie Lily Group contain the stalwarts of the garden, they tend to be Turk’s cap with downward facing flowers, Lilium Martagon and Lilium Martagon Album although expensive are worth the outlay they will happily self seed and will reward your investment over the years they can produce over 30 flowers per stem. The Specie group of lilies like dappled shade although they will take the sun, provide them with acid to neutral soil and leave undisturbed.

Longifolium Lily Group they tend to be white but pink is becoming more available, these are the classic long white trumpet lilium, they are fragrant. They like alkaline to neutral soil.

Planting Bulbs

Planting Bulbs

Most people think planting bulbs is something you do in the late summer and autumn, Daffodils, Tulips, Alliums, Crocus, Hyacinths and many more; but even in the late winter you can be planting bulbs.

There is a good range of Bulbs in the Green and planting bulbs this way gives you the opportunity to plant the bulbs just where you want them.

The iconic Snowdrops, belonging to the Galanthus genus, they start to appear in January and can stay until early spring.

The Royal Horticultural Society advises planting snowdrop bulbs "in the green", when they have just finished flowering and potentially still have leaves attached. Gardeners are told to think about planting bulbs in late February to end of March, partial shade is ideal, although snowdrops are hardy plants and fairly easy to grow successfully.

The soil should be moist, but well drained - and should not dry out during the summer months, so a little year-round attention is necessary. With no pruning or training required, however, snowdrops are an excellent introduction to planting bulbs, and can brighten up a garden at what is often an otherwise grey and cold time of year.

Planting bulbs does not have to stop at Snowdrops in the green you can also plant the beautiful Winter Aconite with its lovely buttercup type flower with its green collerette of small leaves.

If you missed the chance to plant some miniature Daffodils why not consider planting bulbs of Tete e Tete in the green for a lovely display in March.

Planting bulbs of Bluebells in the green can also be done in late February and March who can resist the site of a blue carpet and the distinctive blue bell smell that takes you back to the bluebell woods of your childhood.

Planting and Growing Dahlia Tubers

Planting and Growing Dahlia Tubers

Dahlias are very popular and have gained a wider ordinance over the last few years. Dahlias come in a stunning colour range and will fit any garden scheme; there are many shapes and sizes to choose from

Gallery Dahlias are ideal for pots and the front of the border these dahlias reach a height of around 14”.

Karma Dahlias are tall they are excellent for cut flower they have a longer stem them most dahlias.

Bishop and Classic Dahlias have rich dark foliage the Bishop dahlias like Bishop of Llandaff have the darkest foliage the Classic dahlias have a dark purple green foliage and when both categories are planted together they give a deep depth to a planting scheme their flowers are smaller than the larger decorative dahlias and give a light airy design to the garden.

Pompon and Ball dahlias have small flowers the stems tend to be long ideal for cutting and flower arranging. The petals are more tightly clustered.

Decorative and Cactus Dahlias are the work horses of the dahlias there colours and shapes are fascinating from the spiky dark and mysterious Rip City to the pure white of Decorative Dahlia White Perfection

Dahlias are ideal for the garden they will reward you from late July until the frost of November, they are the giving plant the more you cut the flowers the more they will produce, if you want larger flowers nip all the side buds and keep the one central bud.

To encourage bushy plants it’s important to pinch out the growth to around 4-6 inches this will encourage multi branching and the results will be well worth the effort.

Dahlias are diverse and versatile they like a rich soil and a steady supply of moisture they prefer to be planted in full sun but will take a little shade. Allow the frost to turn the foliage black, and then cut back to around 15 cm, lift the tubers remove excess soil and place upside down on a suitable surface, in frost free conditions and allow to dry naturally, You can dust with a fungicide when dry then place the dry tubers in boxes of either dry sand or peat to over winter you will need to check occasionally for fungal infection and cut out any damaged tissue then retreat with fungicide. In warm areas you can leave Dahlias in the ground over winter, plant to a depth of around 15-20 cm and provide deep winter mulch.

Get Gardening for the First Time

Get Gardening for the First Time

It’s a question that is often asked: if you have never gardened before, where should you start?

Of course, where you start with gardening is up to you. If you have a burning ambition to create a certain look to your garden or want to grow a certain type of plant, by all means go for it. However, if you’re completely new to gardening and are looking to ease in gently, one good place to start is by planting bulbs.

Planting bulbs is a lovely thing to do as the process can be very therapeutic and gets you in the great outdoors and you’ll also get a great pay-off when the plants start to grow and flowers begin to appear. Also, with literally hundreds of options available, you are certain to find bulbs to suit your tastes.

One thing to remember is that different bulbs are meant to be planted at different times of the year, so when you make your purchases check to see that it’s the right time for them to be planted. Bulbs are also a good option for new gardeners as you can use them no matter how much or how little space you have available.

Bulbs are a great space filler choose varieties the will naturalise over time and mix with perennial plants to give all year interest. There are many bulbs that you plant in the spring to flower over the summer to autumn months the beautiful Nerines, Acidanthera, Crocosmia, Galtonia, to name just a few, there is a wider choice of Lilium bulbs available in the spring to choose from the Orientals, Trumpet and Orienpets have beautiful perfume and the aziatics are good cutting flowers the species are good for naturalising; have a look around our spring website to be inspired by the range and choice available for your summer and autumn displays

Some of the best Autumn Bulbs

Some of the best Autumn Bulbs

Are you looking for some lovely autumn bulbs that you can plant now so they’ll flower in the spring? If so, read on to find out about some great autumn bulbs that could make a really lovely addition to your garden.

Tulips are a very popular autumn bulb choice. The wide range of tulips available makes them even more appealing; with a variety of colours, shapes and flowering times on offer, they’re attractive to everyone. Have a look at the selections on our website to see what’s available.

Crocus bulbs are one of the earliest to flower in the spring. These are really sweet, pretty flowers that look beautiful whether they are in little clumps or scattered around a planting area. The autumn is also a good time to plant daffodil bulbs; as some of the most popular springtime flowers, daffodils are a definite must have with a colour range, size and flowering time to suite any garden.

You could also have a look at other autumn bulbs such as the iris from the dwarf flowering varieties that flower in February to the beautiful Dutch Iris that flower in June and make and ideal cutting flower, they are a great addition to any garden. The hyacinth is another favourite with there beautiful heady scent that fills the spring air.

Allium bulbs provide a stunning display from May to June with there different shapes and sizes they are a bulb that should be planted in the autumn to give a stunning late spring early summer display.

Get Children Interested in Gardening

Get Children Interested in Gardening

Working in the garden with your children can be really rewarding and a great thing to do – but how do you get them interested in it in the first place? Here are some tips on how to get your children excited about the garden.

Make it manageable

If you’re gardening with children, it’s probably best to keep things simple. Give them a small section of garden to work on and encourage everything they do.

Get dirty

It almost goes without saying that the majority of children rather like the dirt. As well as choosing your own bulbs let them choose the bulbs they would like to grow; give them the chance to help you with the planting. They’re sure to appreciate the chance to get mucky – and it helps to make the process much more fun.

Watch things grow

Probably one of the best ways to help your children get into gardening is to buy bulbs that they can nurture and watch as they grow over time; by getting them to choose the bulbs they want to grow will really keep them interested in the outcome; let them have a look around the Peter Nyssen site so they can see what the ‘finished’ flowers look like first.

Planting results

It can be very rewarding for children to nurture the bulbs to flowering; when in flower they can pick the results of there growing effort and present to family members. Have fun with children in the garden.

Different Types of Daffodil Bulbs

Different Types of Daffodil Bulbs

The Daffodil is well known as one of the most recognisable flowers around, with very good reason; their cheerful appearance and gorgeous, sunny colour makes them popular with people everywhere. The great news for daffodil lovers is that their is a wide range of daffodil bulbs to tempt and inspire you, with such a wide choice of daffodils available you can extend the flowering season of the daffodils from End February to Mid April.

On our list you will see daffodil are divided into 13 categories. These range from the popular and beautiful Division 1 daffodils, like Golden Harvest and Rijnvelds Early Sensation, to the wild type daffodils, Recurvus (Old Pheasant Eye) and the more unusual and rarer varieties of daffodil bulbs.

Daffodils come in a wide range of colour from difference shades of yellow, cream, white and much more, if you are a lover of daffodils it is definitely worth exploring the different categories of daffodils bulbs the shapes and colours of daffodils is very wide and varied. Whether you’re a fan of the golden yellow daffodil or you prefer the smaller, more delicate versions, there is sure to be a selection of daffodils to enhance your garde

Choosing Bulbs for Sale

Choosing Bulbs for Sale

Everyone loves planting bulbs and watching them grow and produce their glorious flowers. There is such a huge choice of bulbs for sale for plant lovers, from early snowdrops, crocus, daffodils and tulips to a wide selection of alliums anemone, lilium, camassia, fritillarias and much more.

The planting area

The amount of space you have available can have an impact when choosing form the range of bulbs for sale. Most bulbs require space to develop and produce their offsets. Some bulbs for sale can take many years to develop the next generation. After all you wouldn’t want to put a 100 daffodils in to a small pot – less is always more, let the choice of bulbs for sale inspire you.

What you like

Probably the most important factor when choosing from bulbs for sale is the style of flower you like. We all have our favourites but sometimes it’s worth picking something a little different from the bulbs for sale and you may be pleasantly surprised by your choice. Choosing your favourite is an investment that will bring months of enjoyment and pleasure. Alliums are always such good value for money and give a wonderful display in May and June they are an excellent choice in the bulbs for sale list, experiment who knows you may discover beautiful bulbs for sale you never considered before.

Things to Consider when Planting Bulbs

Things to Consider when Planting Bulbs

Planting bulbs is something the vast majority of gardeners do every year. Growing your own flowers is exciting and getting it just right can be really rewarding, especially when they start to grow. There are a few things to consider then planting bulbs here are a few of them.

The time of year

Before you start planting bulbs check it’s the optimum time to plant, read any planting guides provided. For example, don’t buy daffodils in February. Planting bulbs at this time of year is a waste of your time and money.

Where to plant

Different bulbs require different conditions in which to grow to their full potential. When planting bulbs make sure you have enough water and light for their needs. Some bulbs like plenty of sunshine, whereas others prefer a shady nook. When planting bulbs make sure you plant to the correct depth; cyclamen need planting very shallow, almost at the top of the soil, whereas daffodils like to be planted deep. Planting bulbs correctly will reward you for many years.

Caring for them

Generally when you’re planting bulbs the care you give them will make it so much easier further down the line. Always use a good soil based compost if planting bulbs in pots, a high potash fertiliser is a perfect food. After planting bulbs let them develop and grow to around a few inches, then every two to three weeks give them a feed up to flowering and then you can stop feeding. This helps with the flower storage for the following year. Daffodils are best fed after flowering.

Once you finish planting bulbs, sit back and wait for the floral spectacle to begin.