Synopses & Reviews
There are few delights as universal as spotting the first buds of spring. The appearance of a bold tulip or a shy daffodil heralds warmth and changing seasons. These plants, as well as others such as nerines, lilies, irises, and hyacinths, begin life as bulbs. While they require careful cultivation, they can brighten gardens year after year.
With the expert guidance in Growing Garden Bulbs, readers will have the confidence and inspiration they need to get started growing fantastic bulbs. This practical and highly illustrated guide focuses on growing temperate garden bulbs in the outdoor garden. It walks readers step-by-step through all aspects of bulb growing, covering everything from buying to blossom. Chapters address the when and how of buying bulbs, selecting the best specimens, planting both outdoors and in pots, naturalizing, keeping pests and diseases away, and, for the more adventurous, propagating plants. In addition, a detailed planting guide takes readers through every season, making it easier to plan gardens. Because the book draws on more than thiry years of experience from one of the leading experts on bulbs, readers can be sure they are getting accurate and practical information.
From tulips to snowdrops, fritillaries, daffodils, and many more, Growing Garden Bulbs looks at all the popular garden bulbs and their relatives, highlighting plants that can be easily found in garden centers and local nurseries. Thanks to the book’s user-friendly style and rich illustrations, the hardest part will be choosing which bulbs to buy first.
Review
"Richard Wilford has a lot of useful tips about how to tackle the long-term care of bulbs (feed with tomato food when the plants are in bloom, to avoid producing leaf rather than flowers); and has many pointers on planting, either in pots or in the soil. But of course the real fun is his choice selection of good flowering bulbs to run right across the gardening year, beginning with elegant snowdrops such as Galanthus elwesii in winter and ending with the bright sting of lilac provided by autumn cyclamen."
Review
"Any book published under Kew Gardens aegis is always first rate, brief, exact, with excellent information and photographs. This work presents details on bulbs by season of bloom, starting with winter, spring, summer, autumn, as well as South African bulbs, nerines, crocosmias, and ixias, generally autumn blooming. . . . A handy reference guide on bulbs"
Synopsis
The definitive guide to bulbs, including all the new varieties and up-to-date techniques for care Daffodils and tulips herald the arrival of spring, but from the earliest snowdrops to autumn crocosmias, bulbs bring color and interest to gardens all year round, and this definitive guide presents Alan Titchmarsh's top tips for how to use bulbs to best effect. They can be naturalized in lawns, planted in containers, fill gaps between shrubs, or form the basis of stunning borders. This guide features an A-to-Z directory of Alan's recommended bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes; easy-to-follow plans showing how to use bulbs in various situations and at different times of year; practical tips for growing bulbs in grass, rockeries, containers, indoors, and for cutting; planting and growing techniques; and, seasonal planting for year-round color and scent.
Synopsis
Daffodils and tulips herald the arrival of spring, but from the earliest snowdrops to autumn crocosmias, bulbs bring colour and interest to gardens all year round. They can be naturalized in lawns, planted in containers, fill gaps between shrubs or form the basis of stunning borders. This definitive guide gives you Alan Titchmarsh's advice on how to plant bulbs for best effect in your garden.
* A-Z directory of Alan's recommended bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes
* Easy-to-follow plans show how to use bulbs in various situations and at different times of year
* Practical tips for growing bulbs in grass, rockeries, containers, indoors and for cutting
* Planting and growing techniques
* Seasonal planting for year-round colour and scent
About the Author
Alan Titchmarsh is the author of more than 40 gardening books, including How to Be a Gardener, The Gardener's Year, The Royal Gardeners, and the volume of memoirs Trowel and Error. He has twice been named Gardening Writer of the Year and in 2004 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Garden Writers' Guild.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Buying Bulbs
Planting and caring
Planting depths
Naturalising bulbs
Planting in the grass
Growing bulbs in pots
Long-term care
Pests and diseases
Propagation
Bulbs by season
Winter:
Snowdrops
Crocus
Winter aconite
Cyclamen coum
Reticulata irises
Spring:
Daffodils
Tulips
Hyacinths and bluebells
Fritilaries
Small blue bulbs
Dog’s tooth violets
Anemones
Summer:
Alliums
Lilies
Camassia
Gladiolus
Dahlias and begonias
Autumn:
Colchicum
Autumn-flowering crocus
Autumn-flowering Cyclamen
Sternbergia
Nerines
South African bulbs
Glossary