When to plant your garden
Best Planting Times
When to plant your garden
The best time of year to plant your garden is in the autumn. This is when there will be the best availability of perennial plants and tree specimens. Autumn is also a good time to plant because it should eliminate the need to irrigate or water your new planting. Spring is another good time to plant, and even small perennials planted in spring can easily mature in time for summer. Read more »
Plant Bulbs in Autumn
tulips, daffodills and alliums
Bulb planting season traditionally runs between September and late November. In clay soil, or in soil that is heavy and wet over winter, it is best to get your bulbs planted as early as possible, so that the roots can start growing immediately. Planted in pots, you can get away with planting your bulbs as late as January in some cases, but it's a bit of a gamble. The exception to the rule are snowdrops, which establish better when planted 'in the green' in spring. Read more »
Planting Clematis
When to plant, and how
Autumn is the ideal time to plant your clematis. Clematis like fertile, moist but well drained soil. They also prefer it if there roots are in the shade, so try planting at the base of a shrub or tree - or planting perennials to shade it from the hot summer sun. Plant it as you would any other shrub, in a hole slightly deeper than the rootball Read more »
Bareroot trees and shrubs
Buying bareroot in the dormant season
Bare-root trees and shrubs are available between November and March each year. They are only available in the dormant season, but they are worth waiting for as they offer a significant cost saving over buying containerised plants. Read more »
Planting roses
Containerised or bare root?
Roses can be bought bare root or grown in containers. The advantage of container grown roses is that they are available throughout the year, and so you might find there is a better choice of varieties available. They are more expensive than bare root specimens, especially if you are buying them mail order (they are much beavier to post!) Bare root roses are preferable when available. They are usually available to buy bare root throughout the dormant season (Nov-March) and they tend to establish better. Read more »
Planting snowdrops 'in the green'
Better than bulbs
Although most bulbs perform best when planted as a dry bulb in autumn, snowdrops are the exception to the rule. Snowdrops generally establish better when planted 'in-the-green' in spring time. Snowdrop bulbs are dug up when they are growing - both flowering and after flowering - and need to be planted within a couple of weeks. Despatch of snowdrops 'in-the-green' usually starts in late January and continues until April. Read more »
