Just arrived?
our bulbs and plants, and how to grow them
Note sure what to do when your order arrives this autumn? Below, you'll find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about autumn deliveries.
tulips and narcissi
Our Tulips and Narcissi (daffodils) are sent out to you from September onwards. They will arrive in packaging with plenty of ventilation, but it’s key to store them somewhere cool and dry until you are ready to plant. If you have the space, we’d recommend taking them out of their packaging and spreading them out, or at least spreading the bags out, so they aren‘t all piled together with no airflow.
Occasionally, a little bit of surface mould can show on the individual bulbs, but this isn’t a problem and is completely normal.
The general rule of thumb is that tulips are best planted from late October, once there has been a frost as this helps to wipe out any viruses in the soil such as tulip fire. However, you can of course plant earlier if you are itching to get them in the ground. narcissus can be planted slightly earlier, from September onwards.
Thinking of giving bulbs as a Christmas present?
Best to plant them up yourself and give them in a container ready to go.
You can find more information on planting bulbs in our planting instruction booklet which can be found online here, as well as on our tulip and narcissi growing guides.
P.S. Remember to plant them deep, two to three times the height of the bulb, and always to plant pointy end up!
alliums
We send out alliums at the same time as tulips and narcissus, but we would recommend you plant these as soon as you can for best results, If you can't plant them straight away, don't worry it isn't the end of the world. leave them somewhere cool and dry for a few days, and spread the bulbs out so they have plenty of air circulation.
Occasionally, a little bit of surface mould can show on the individual bulbs but this isn’t a problem, and is completely normal.
You can find more information on planting alliums in our planting instruction booklet which can be found online here, as well as on our Allium Growing guide page.
P.S. Alliums are quite big bulbs and want to be planted nice and deep, at least twice their own depth (10-15cm), pointy end up. They also like to be planting in free draining soils so will benefit from a bit of grit in the planting hole.
wallflowers
There are 2 families of wallflowers, those that are perennial and last in the garden for a few years (Erysimum), and those that are biennial and therefor more of a one season wonder. And what a wonder they are.
Ideally you want to plant these very soon after they arrive. It’s important to get them into the ground, or containers nice and early to give them a chance to settle in before temperatures really drop, enabling them to produce a good strong root system over autumn for fabulous early flowers.
Not ready to plant out?
- Small plug plants: You can pot these on into 9cm pots and leave them outside in a sheltered spot. Don’t let them dry out and plant as soon as you are ready.
- 9cm pots: Water when they arrive, and keep in a sheltered spot outside. Plant as soon as you are ready.
If planting biennial wallflowers in pots with your tulips, space the wallflower plants about 15cm (6in) apart in the pot and plant at the same time as the tulip bulbs.
You can find more information on planting and caring for Wallflowers in this growing guide.
bare root plants and roses
These will arrive as dormant plants (often showing little or no signs of life) and will arrive in bags as a mass of roots and a small amount of loose soil to protect the root.
If you aren’t ready to plant when these when they arrive, or if soil is frozen and waterlogged, remove all packaging and sit the roots in a container, gently covering with loose, damp compost. They can be left like this for a few days in a garage or garden shed, but it is important to plant them as soon as possible to prevent them from drying out. Roses are sent out as bare roots, as well as many other perennial plants.
If your soil is either frozen or very waterlogged when your plant arrives and you won’t be able to plant it within a few days, we recommend potting on bare roots into large, deep containers following our potting on bare root perennial instructions:
1. Give the plants a soak in a bucket of water for around 20 minutes while preparing the potting mixture. Use a good quality, peat-free, multipurpose compost, which you can mix with a little grit to ensure good drainage.
2. Choose a pot slightly larger than the root mass and partially fill it with the potting mix
3. Position the plant in the centre of the pot, holding the base of the crown (where the roots meet the top growth) just below the top of the pot and carefully fill around the roots. You may need to tap the pot now and then to settle the soil. For peonies the ‘eyes’ or resting buds, should be no more than 3-5cm (1-2in) below the surface.
4. Water well and place in a sheltered spot outside or a cold frame if you have one, to grow on.
Plant out during a mild spell. You can find more specific planting and growing instructions in our growing guide.
shrubs and hardy perennials
Our container-grown shrubs (deciduous or evergreen woody plants), and hardy perennials can be planted at any time of year, provided the ground is not frozen or waterlogged, but autumn is the ideal time, allowing their root system to establish in the warm soil.
If possible, aim to plant these as soon as they arrive. If however, the ground is too frozen or waterlogged to plant, they will be OK in their pots for a couple of weeks. Any longer, and you might want to plant them up into a slightly larger pot to give them room for growth. As soon as there is a mild spell, plant them out in your garden or container. If planting a shrub or perennial into a container, we recommend using John Innes Peat-Free Compost.
Most shrubs require pruning to keep them shapely and productive, please refer to our growing guides and advice pages for the specific requirements of each plant, from planting, to aftercare and pruning.
Some plants might arrive looking quite small, and with not a huge amount of top growth above the compost. Don’t worry! At this stage in the season the plant will have a small amount of top growth but will have a large root system, which will further establish over winter. Come spring, after a winter in the ground or a large pot to establish a strong root system, the plant will put on new growth in the Spring.
PS. When planting, dig a hole deep and wide enough to cover the entire root ball, with the top just level with the surface.
These tips should give you everything you need to get your bulbs and plants going, and off to a great start.