April and May is the best time to buy and plant your spring flowering bulbs. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, ranunculus and freesias are only a few of the large range available. Most bulbs are dug up, packaged and sold when they are dormant. They are usually graded and sorted, checked by hand, counted and packaged. Some bulb companies package seconds and some package premium bulbs so in effect you get the quality you pay for.

There are a few things to look out for when selecting bulbs, and just by physically picking one up and feeling it can tell you a lot about its quality. Bulbs should be full and firm, not soft or dry and withered. If it feels light then it is possible that it is dry and dead inside. If the bulb is soft it is often a sign of fungal disease. Avoid any bulb that is diseased or physically damaged or has a bad smell. The outer skin of tulips is quite important because it helps to prevent dehydration and damage and should be intact. Bulbs need to be a reasonable size to flower in their first year. Some bulbs, like daffodils, will sometimes have a smaller bulb attached, but these will probably only flower in the second year. The supplier will pick up most problems with bulbs when they are packaging and sorting so you receive good quality.

Bulbs can look deceptively delicate, but most are surprisingly hardy and easy to grow. They can be planted in multiples or randomly, to achieve a natural look. Scattering the bulbs, and planting them where they fall can create wonderful natural drifts. These may look sparse in the first season, but they will get better each year as they get a chance to spread, expanding into dense clumps. Bulbs can be planted effectively together with perennials, disguising the bush as the foliage is dying down, while the bulbs supply ongoing colour.

Most bulbs prefer an open sunny position or light shade, and in fact many will flower poorly if they don’t receive enough natural light. In warmer climates many will tolerate a little more shade. Most bulbs like very good drainage. If you have heavy or poorly drained soil try growing them in raised beds or pots. As a general rule, bulbs can be planted twice as deeply as they are high, and about the same distance apart. Bulbs are usually planted with the pointy end upwards, except ranunculus which are planted claw downwards. If you are unsure, just ask at your local specialist nursery when you buy your bulbs. Most bulbs need very little attention except a complete bulb fertiliser at planting time, and then again when they have finished flowering. As tempting as it is to cut of the dying foliage – don’t. The foliage helps to provide the energy for next years’ flower.