How To Make A Raised Bulb Garden

Early autumn is the perfect time to be planting spring bulbs – put them in the ground or in pots now and you can have a parade of flowers that will last from January right through to May.

It's a great idea to combine bulb planting with the inevitable autumn clean-up; so you can cut down the old year while plotting and dreaming about the new.

1. THINK BIG

The main rule with bulbs is…go large! If you're thinking of planting 20 – plant 40. If you think 50 will do it – go for 80. In a pot see just how many you can squeeze in without them touching.

2. GO DEEP

The second rule is to try to plant them three times their depth. This isn't always possible, but try for somewhere near it. If the bulbs are planted too close to the surface they are more likely to get eaten by pests and they can pull themselves out of the ground as they flower. Too deep and they have problems actually reaching the surface.

Woman is preparing bulbs of plants for planting in the garden

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3. PLAN THE DISPLAY

And finally, the third rule is to plant like a fireworks display. So when one type dies down the next come up – bulbs are wonderfully designed to make this easy. The show starts in January with snowdrops, as they fade the crocuses take over in February. March and April is tulip season and finally, May brings a sea of purple alliums. There's a huge variety of bulbs but this tried-and-tested combination works really well to brighten the garden from the post-Christmas dip right through to the beginning of the summer perennials in June.

MONTH-BY-MONTH: Our recommended guide on what bulbs to plant each month

January – Snowdrops

Galanthus nivalis is a reliable variety. Snowdrops ideally like rich, damp, partly shaded conditions but this common yet beautiful snowdrop will tolerate less-than-perfect situations.

Snowdrop bulbs, from £5.99 BUY NOW @ Thompson & Morgan

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February – Crocus

Pale-coloured varieties stand out well against the dark soil at this time of year. The shimmering light blue Crocus tommasinianus will come back year after year.

Crocus bulbs, from £5.99 BUY NOW @ Thompson & Morgan

Close-Up Of Purple Crocus Blooming Outdoors

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March/April – Tulips

The range of tulips available is astounding and it can be a problem to know what to choose. You can either go for one colour, or maybe try two different colours that look amazing together - just make sure they're about the same height and flower at the same time. Try Tulipa 'Queen of Night', which has a dark purple flower, with the soft pink Tulipa 'Pink Diamond'. Or create a fiery, combination with bright orange Tulipa 'Ballerina' and red Tulipa 'Uncle Tom'.

Tulip bulbs, from £6.99 BUY NOW @ Thompson & Morgan

HR2523600003115738375 Getty Images

May – Allium

The best variety is Allium 'Purple Sensation', it's used everywhere because it looks amazing. The only downside of this bulb is that the leaves start to die as the flowers take off. The solution is to increase the numbers and distract attention from any messiness at soil level with a sky-full of purple.

Allium bulbs, from £8.99 BUY NOW @ Thompson & Morgan

Close-up image of the summer flowering bulbous perennial purple Allium flowers in hazy sunshine

Jacky Parker Photography Getty Images

If you're looking for even more bulb inspiration, take a look at florist Jonathan Moseley's top 10 favourite bulbs to plant in autumn to brighten up your garden come spring

1. Parrot tulips – Amazing cut flowers with a kaleidoscope of colours and flamboyant frilly edged petals

Tulipa 'Blue Parrot', from £4.99
BUY NOW @ Crocus

2. Erythroniums – Perfect for growing in the shade and they naturalise easily.

Erythronium dens-canis, £7.99
BUY NOW @ Crocus

3. Narcissus poeticus – A stunningly simple narcissus with the most fabulous fragrance.

Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus, from £3.99
BUY NOW @ Crocus

4. Allium schubertii – Dramatic and bold with its firework-like blooms with seed heads that are equally as spectacular.

Allium schubertii, from £7.99
BUY NOW @ Crocus

5. Frittilaria meleagris – The painted marbled heads of these charming flowers are beautifully romantic and make a fabulous cut flower.

Fritillaria meleagris (Mixed), £3.99
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6. Narcissus 'Hawera' – This sweetly scented miniature narcissus flowers late in the season and emits a wonderfully sweet succulent fragrance.

Narcissus 'Hawera', from £3.99
BUY NOW @ Crocus

7. Fritillaria uva-vulpis – The pendulous heads of this waxy bloom give extremely long-lasting cut flowers and are incredibly easy to grow.

Fritillaria uva-vulpis, from £4.99
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8. Tulipa tarda – As these tulip species burst their petals open, it's like an explosion of sunshine, as they reveal their original and unadulterated charm.

Tulipa tarda, from £3.99
BUY NOW @ Crocus

9. Muscari latifolium – Each bloom shows-off the most lovely two-tone, from deepest navy blue/black to a wonderful hyacinth shade of blue. It naturalises extremely well in gravel and dry gardens.

Muscari latifolium, from £3.99
BUY NOW @ Crocus

10. Eranthis hyemalis – A must for any garden as the buttercup yellow blooms are often the first to flower during the depths of winter.

Eranthis hyemalis, from £6.99
BUY NOW @ Thompson & Morgan

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