
BULBS & PERENNIALS
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Bulbs and Perennials add the interest and finishing touch to a garden. Many of them provide both interesting textures and a colourful display. Most of them flower in spring, summer, or autumn, hence with careful planning, there is always plenty of colour in the garden
Description
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Bulbs and perennials come in all types, shapes, colours and uses
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Renowned for their spring, summer and autumn colour
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Flowers come in almost all colours.
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They range in height and spread from flat ground covers to 1.5 metres tall
Uses
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Plant in mixed borders
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Great ‘fillers’
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As groundcovers, on banks and over walls
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As an under planting of trees
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In pots and containers
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Many are good for floral art
Requirements
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Full sun
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Good clay loam soil with summer water holding capacity
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Some slow release food at planting and follow up with Rose fertiliser in spring and mid-late summer
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Deep watering in dry summer periods
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Most bulbs and perennials are free of pests and diseases.
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Possible pests are: Aphids and caterpillars. – spray with ‘Mavrik’ (Safe to bees and soft on ladybirds)
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Possible disease : Powdery Mildew – spray with Yates Greenguard
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Removing spent flowers will prolong flowering
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Most bulbs and perennials die back to ground level in winter.
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Evergreen perennials will require cutting back to keep them tidy and to encourage new growth
Season of availability
Bulbs
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Early spring flowering bulbs such as - Anemones & Ranunculus are available in Feb – March
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Main spring flowering bulbs – early cheer, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, bluebells freesia etc. are available in March - April
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Late spring flowering bulbs such as Lilliums, Calla lilies, are available in July August
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Summer - autumn flowering bulbs, such as dahlias are available in September - October
Perennials
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There is a huge range of perennials, and whilst many can be procured over several months, the majority are available for a short window of about 2 months, just prior to, and during the flowering period for each particular variety.
Popular Species & Varieties
Bulbs
Under this general heading we include corms and tubers. Bulbs are old favourites, and the most popular are listed here. There are of course many more.
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Winter / Early Spring flowering – Anemones; Crocus; Early Cheer; Ranunculus; Tingitana Iris.
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Spring Flowering – Babianas; Bluebells; Daffodils; Jonquils; Tulips;
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Summer / Autumn Flowering – Begonias; Calla Lilies; Dahlias; Gladioli; Liliums.
Perennials
There are literally hundreds of perennials available. For convenience here we only list the most popular. We have also arbitrarily divided them into
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Long-lived perennials – those that tend to be very tough and thrive year after year.
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Short-lived perennials – those that are require or are best replaced with new plants every year, or every second year.
This split is a little arbitrary, as some perennials may be long lived in ideal conditions but short lived in unsuited conditions.
Long-lived perennials
Agapanthus; Alstromeria; Ajuga; Anigozathos (Kangaroo paw); Aquilegia; Armeria (Thrift); Arthropodium (Reinga Lily); Aster; Astilbe; Canna lily; Clivia; Convulvulus spp.; Dianthus; Leucantemum (Shasta Daisy) Hemerocallis (Day Lily); Delphinium; Bergenia; Heterocentron (Spanish shawl); Hellebores; Heuchera; Hosta; Liriope; Penstemon; Phlox; Scabiosa (Pin cushion flower); Sedum.
Short-lived perennials
Arctotis; Argyranthemum (Marguerite Daisy); Brachycome; Catmint; Chamomile; Chrysanthemum; Heliotrope (Cherry Pie); Coreposis; Cyclamen; Diascia; Euphorbia; Felecia; Gaillardia; Gaura; Gazania; Geranium; Gerbera; Lithodora; Perennial Petunia; Primula / polyanthus; Salvia; Verbena; Viola.
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