Bulb advice pls..

[Marthaclematis]

Having said I wouldn't buy any more plants (my bed is overfull and there's no room for anything else), I have bought a mixture of miniture spring bulbs to plant in pots for the patio; iris, daffs and the like. Next spring will only be my second as a 'gardener' and I think it will be nice to herald spring with some colour (last year we only had a few daffodils).
My question is, when should I plant them? The packets say 'september to december' (that is a pretty wide margin don't you think?) I live in SE London in a sheltered south facing garden - does where one lives make a difference?

Years ago when I tried to grow daffs in pots the sqirrels got lots of them. If I plant them later rather than sooner would it make a difference.... do squirrels migrate in autumn - yeah, if only! But perhaps they slow down on the forraging front as the year moves on. I can only live in hope.

[Gwen11ian]

I'd suggest later rather than earlier, because it's pretty mild in London in September.. and you wouldn't want the bulbs to grow up out of the soil early. Plant them up in your pots, then cover with either twiggy branches or some sort of wire mesh to keep out the squirrels (be sure to secure it down so they don't pull it off the soil). Once the flower is up three or four inches, remove the branches/wire. It worked great for me last year. It's not particularly pretty (but neither is a bare pot of soil).. so just tuck them around the corner somewhere until spring comes.

[nick the grief]

As your in London and your using Pots they will burst into life a bit sooner. I'd second the advice about wire mesh but why not use the green coloured 1/2" mesh that you can get and make it into a mushroom shape and then you can leave it in and the plants will grow through it and use it for support.

If your tubs/pots are big enough you can plant them in layers of either the same types (all daffs or all Tulips) but different varieties or mix them up and extend the flowering period. Also you could top them off with some Winter Pansies and then you don't have to hide them. Just remember to give them a high potash feed when they stop flowering to ensure the bulbs build up for next year.

[Marthaclematis]

Thanks for your advice, I will plant them as late as poss and I will deffinately get something to cover them with. I will look in the GC next week. I'm going to mix them all up and plant them in layers. I didn't think about pansies, that's a good idea.

[Demeter]

I too have impulse bought spring bulbs today

I was just thinking about how desolate the winter will be with nothing to look after or look forward to, and thinking about how MUCH I love it when the snowdrops and crocuses and things appear to herald the end of winter and - poof, a garden centre appeared before me...

Winter pansies - can I still grow them from seed or am I too late?

[tootles]

On the same theme - my dearest and most beloved husband strimmed all of my iris bulbs last year and all spring this year (I just bit my tongue - he then spent the summer strimming two buddleias, a redcurrent, two roses and most of my bergamot - I will bite no longer!!)
Is there any chance of them making an appearance this coming spring??
(is there any chance of him recognizing 'proper' plants next year too?? - don't answer!)

[Two_Sheds]

Winter pansies - can I still grow them from seed or am I too late?

too late!
Buy some plug plants (lots of Ads in the gardening press at the mo for mail order; garden centre are about £2 for six plants. Your local market might be a bit cheaper)

I just got about 300 bulbs (crocus, iris, tulip, daffs) from the Poundshop for my birthday ... I'll pot them up if it ever stops raining