Do you grow bulbs in your cut flower patch?

[AllotmentMummy]

Do you grow bulbs in your cut flower patch and if so, how many? I've planted 250 as they were on a massive sale at the garden centre. Starting to feel it might be too many but then when you look at pictures of tulip arrangements the vases seem to have masses of them in there. Obviously I haven't planted all tulips - got irises, hyacinths, daffs, alliums etc. too.

Any advice for looking after bulbs on a cut flower patch? Do you sow anything from June onwards or do you find the dying foliage too dominating?

[Guest]

Is your cut patch solely for your own use?

If yes than a bed 1.2 x 3.0m will easily accomodate 300 bulbs (100 each of narcs, tulips, alliums if you are after a start on your season) and you can split the 100 down to allow for a bit of range on your varieties. Bulbs for cutting should be treated as having a short lifespan 1-3years.

Other bulbs worthy of cutting but don't have a dedicated patch in my garden are anemone and freesia.

I don't grow anything else on the dedicated bed but I also leave some of my allium heads to dry.

[Nicos]

The only bulbs I can grow in the ground are daffodils as the voles tend to gleefully munch their way through most other bulbs
There is such a variety of shapes and colours and flower over a long period of time. Wonderful!

[Scarlet]

I think bulbs are expensive. They don't last, you can't propagate them/split or make new plants - yes they do grow little offspring but they take forever to get big enough to flower. The original bulbs slowly dwindle after cutting and for the best results need replanting.
For the cost of a pack of tulips bulbs you can buy a big bunch in the shops. Daffs are usually a pound or so.
Any daffs or tulips I have are left to flower in my garden, rarely if ever picked.

[mothhawk]

I think bulbs are expensive. They don't last, you can't propagate them/split or make new plants - yes they do grow little offspring but they take forever to get big enough to flower. The original bulbs slowly dwindle after cutting and for the best results need replanting.
For the cost of a pack of tulips bulbs you can buy a big bunch in the shops. Daffs are usually a pound or so.
Any daffs or tulips I have are left to flower in my garden, rarely if ever picked.

I agree, and most bulbs only produce one flower per year, too.

I've found that the only exception to what Scarlet says are grape hyacinths, which while attractive, good for early bees, and also excellent as cut flowers, spread everywhere and are almost impossible to get rid of once you have them. I've given up now and just blitz the bed where they grow every couple of years to remove as many bulbs as possible, but the next year I still have lots.

[bikermike]

did somebody say "Grape hyacinth!?"
*sprinkles thread with holy water*

those blithering invasive things... arrrrgh!

anyway, I grow flowers to cut from bulbs. With limited success, but it is nice when you can bring them inside and put them in a vase.

[veggiechicken]

If you want to grow bulbs just for picking, why not grow a few in a pot and bring the pot indoors to flower, and plant them out afterwards. The only ones I pick are those that fall to touch the grass or are snapped by the wind - its too expensive to grow bulbs for a single flower.

[Cadalot]

Hang On Guys - I have bought a load of daffs and tulips with the idea that they will grow and I can cut and bring them home for my little triffid and that the bulbs will offer up another flower for me each year, is that not the case ?

[Guest]

Hang On Guys - I have bought a load of daffs and tulips with the idea that they will grow and I can cut and bring them home for my little triffid and that the bulbs will offer up another flower for me each year, is that not the case ?

The quality/size of the flower will deteriorate year on year as it starts/diverts some of its energy into multiplying the bulb. If it is for home use and you don't need the growing space it is not a major issue.

Edit: Also if you cut the greenery when you cut it's flower you are depriving the bulb.

[mothhawk]

Hang On Guys - I have bought a load of daffs and tulips with the idea that they will grow and I can cut and bring them home for my little triffid and that the bulbs will offer up another flower for me each year, is that not the case ?

They'll last a fair few years, the deeper you planted them, the better they'll do. Six inches from the top of the bulb to the surface is good, eight inches will keep off mice and drought.

Has anyone else noticed that grape hyacinths pull themselves down into the soil, but snowdrops seem to push themselves up, while daffs and tulips stay where they are put.

[Nicos]

One daff I have noticed which seems to increase in numbers naturally is the tête à tête

[Scarlet]

I would say my snowdrops increase hugely too...but daffs and tulips don't last long.

[veggiechicken]

There were daffs that were growing in the orchard behind the house when we moved here - 30+ years ago. We didn't own the land then and horses were grazing there. Gradually all the daffs disappeared, trampled presumably. About 14 years ago I bought part of the orchard and added it to the garden. Year by year, the daffs have reappeared and multiplied. They're not your normal daffs though - I love them because they're survivors and different to any others I've seen.

[Scarlet]

Mine come back but I always get loads of blind ones! Tulips just seem to fade.

[mothhawk]

Mine come back but I always get loads of blind ones! Tulips just seem to fade.

You ain't burying 'em deep enough!