The colour calendar

A garden in spring is one of life’s simple luxuries, full of colour, fragrance and the promise of brighter days ahead.

With a little planning, you can enjoy blooms that last not just weeks, but months with our spring flowering bulbs.
By planting at the right time, you give each bulb the best chance to thrive and ensure a seamless display of colour when the days begin to brighten. Here’s what to plant, month by month, for a garden that blooms in perfect sequence.

• Daffodils
• Crocuses
• Snowdrops
• Muscari
• Scilla
• Dwarf Irises
• Alliums

• Hyacinths
• Alliums
• Daffodils
• Snowdrops
• Fritillarias
• Tulips

Planting in autumn is all about looking ahead, and each bulb has its moment to shine. By mixing different varieties, you can enjoy a seamless wave of colour from the first signs of spring through to early summer.

• February – March
  Snowdrops and crocuses are the very first to appear, often pushing through frosty ground to brighten the tail end of winter. Scilla and dwarf irises add little splashes of blue, while early daffodils start to trumpet the arrival of spring.
• March – April
  The display gathers pace with hyacinths bringing both fragrance and colour, while mid-season daffodils take centre stage. Fritillarias add elegance with their distinctive chequered flowers, and muscari begin to form bold drifts of blue at the edge of borders.
• April – May
  Mid-season tulips arrive in every shade imaginable, perfectly complemented by late-flowering daffodils. Alliums send up their striking globes, bridging the gap between spring and early summer.
• May – June
  Late tulips carry the show into early summer, while tall alliums stand like fireworks over fading spring borders, adding structure and drama.

1. Layer your bulbs
   For pots, containers and even small borders, try a layered approach by planting the largest, latest blooming bulbs like tulips and alliums at the bottom. Add a layer of mid-season bulbs such as daffodils or hyacinths in the middle and finish with the earliest bloomers like crocuses near the surface for a beautiful ‘bulb lasagne’.
2. Choose for pollinators
   Many spring bulbs are valuable to bees and butterflies. Crocuses, scilla and alliums are especially good for providing nectar and pollen at different points throughout the season. Planting a variety ensures food is available from February right through to June.

With just a little thought now, you’ll set the stage for a garden that bursts into colour again and again every spring.