When it comes to bulbs - size matters!

Here at Boston Bulbs, we are very proud to offer our customers only the highest quality products. And when it comes to flower bulbs, size is one of the most important factors in determining the quality.

Our bulbs are suitable for flowering. Of course they are, you are probably saying, that is a statement of the obvious, as surely all bulbs that are for sale should be suitable for flowering. And you're right - of course they should be suitable for flowering. That should be the purpose of the bulb being purchased - to grow into a beautiful flower. That is the outcome that the customer is expecting when they make their purchase. But sadly, and far too frequently, that is not always the case.  

Our bulbs are not mail order quality, but a lot are. Mail order quality bulbs are often smaller sized bulbs, or to put it another way, undersized bulbs. You may think that all bulbs are the same, and that a bulb is just a bulb, but that is not the case at all. There are different sizes of bulb all within the same type of product, and the size of the bulb will impact its flowering performance. The simple rule when it comes to bulbs is that bigger is better.

Purchasers of bulbs may be surprised to hear that many smaller bulbs never even flower. They see a picture of a flower on the packaging, and of course expect that their bulbs will end up looking like that. But if the bulb is not the correct size, then it will not produce the flower on the front of the packet. It will either produce a significantly weaker flower or, even worse, no flower at all. To put it bluntly, if the size of the bulb is not suitable for flowering, then it will not flower.

So, why isn't this more widely known? Why don't people complain more? They probably don't bother because it is generally the cheaper bulbs that do not perform. They are cheap because they are small and poor quality, people buy them from discount stores, spend very little money on them (perhaps as little as a pound), plant them, and then when they don't grow think that they must have rotted or been eaten by an animal whilst underground and it isn't worth worrying about because they paid so little for them anyway. But the whole process of buying and planting the bulbs has not only been a complete waste of time and money but was always going to have been so, and the presumed desired outcome of having some beautiful flowers hasn't been achieved.

The experience people have had buying bulbs like this can often put them off planting bulbs, as they think they've had a go at planting bulbs and weren't successful, so it's not for them. They put it down to not having green fingers, and so don't bother with gardening. This is a really sad outcome, because if they had bought a product of flowering size from a reputable company then the bulb would have performed, they would have had success, and would have potentially gone on to really enjoy gardening rather than being put off of it.

We know that, even within the landscaping industry, people often buy on price because their budgets are tight, but what they get for their money is not what they are expecting. If you're a council, what is the point in spending tax payers' money buying bulbs that are a little bit cheaper, but are never going to flower? It is a complete waste of money. The same if you're a private homeowner - there is no point spending your money on a substandard product which is not going to give you your desired outcome of some beautiful, colourful flowers in your garden. This is why we will not jeopardize the quality of our products for anything, and we will never touch undersized bulbs.

If you aren't sure what type or size bulbs you need then please talk to us. Boston Bulbs Wholesale is a privately owned business with over 35 years experience of importing only the finest quality horticultural products throughout Europe and from farmers and growers all over the UK. Whether you're a landscaper, nursery, local authority, wholesaler, retailer, private business or individual gardener, just give us a call on 01775 769 333 or visit / for help with flower bulbs, grass seed and more.