episode 186 | show notes & advice
episode description
Autumn is an exciting moment where your bulb planting now starts the colourful symphony that emerges the following spring, so it’s a perfect time to start getting creative.
Head Gardener Josie Lewis joins Sarah on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ to share her top list of bulbs to plant this autumn, how many bulbs fill out your space, and we run through the art of the bulb lasagne.
In this episode, discover
- The irresistibly scented tulips like ‘Orca’ and ‘Hermitage’ which bring with them a splash of colour
- Josie’s favourite narcissi, including a brand new variety which is as reliable as anything else in the garden
- A recap on how to structure a bulb lasagne for a beautifully structured pot
- How many bulbs are ideal for filling out any size of borders or pots
links and references
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook | Sarah Raven
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
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Episode 186 advice sheet
5 showstopping tulips (2:05)
First on Josie’s list of bulbs for autumn planting are a number of tulips, all of which she suggests that you put your nose into and indulge in their famous scent.
There are some orange varieties to catch the eye like ‘Orca’ and the duskier ‘Hermitage’, or some more reserved white ones like ‘Ice Stick’ and ‘Silver Cloud’.
4 narcissi, and a quick recap on how to make a bulb lasagne (8:15)
Narcissi can be such sweet, delicate additions to your pots and borders, but the narcissi on Josie’s list are highlighted for their unique qualities, perfect for those interested in something a little different, like the pink grapefruit colour of ‘Carice’.
We also take a moment to quickly recap the steps to making a bulb lasagne, paying particular mind to the size of pot that you’re working with.
Iris reticulata, Dutch iris, and creating succession (15:35)
Iris reticulata earn a more-than-worthwhile mention among Josie’s favourites, which we love here for topping off bigger pots in particular. Complementing the likes of ‘Katherine’s Gold’ with narcissi can really bring some unusual, striking colour combinations.
Sarah takes a moment to share a list off the cuff of even more stellar bulbs with a succession plan to bring an ebb and flow of flowers to pots and borders.
A final variety, and how many bulbs you need to fill a space (21:45)
Topping off Josie’s list is the gladiolus byzantinus, whose bold magenta spires fill the gap beautifully in May and June. Sarah & Josie wrap up this episode considering just how to space out your bulbs, with a simple rule of thumb for the number of bulbs to plant per square metre, or based on the size of your pot..
