Seasonal Gardening: what to plant & when to plant it

Adapting your garden to the changing seasons is paramount for success. Each season offers unique conditions that influence plant growth, from temperature to soil moisture.

Whether it's hardy greens in spring, sun-loving tomatoes in summer, or resilient root vegetables in autumn, aligning your choices with the season will help to ensure that your garden flourishes all year round.

Seasonal gardening is a harmonious collaboration between the gardener and the Earth. In this blog, we will focus on what to plant and when to plant it, depending on the time of year.

Spring - March to May

As winter comes to an end, spring bulbs announce the arrival of a new growing season. In March, the garden comes alive with crocuses, snowdrops, and daffodils. These early bloomers are resilient, pushing through lingering frost to showcase their delicate petals.

April marks the emergence of tulips, hyacinths, and fritillaries. Tulips, with their diverse colours and shapes, bring a burst of energy to the garden. Hyacinths fill the air with a sweet scent, and fritillaries add charm, with their nodding, bell-shaped flowers.

May extends the floral display with alliums, irises, and camassias. Alliums create dimension, while irises offer a spectrum of colours. Camassias, with their graceful spikes of star-shaped blooms, complete the spring ensemble, ensuring your garden is a haven of beauty.

Summer - June to August

As spring gracefully bows out, summer bulbs step into the spotlight. June heralds the presence of lilies, dahlias, and gladioli. Lilies, with their exotic appearance, enhance borders and containers. Dahlias are versatile in size and colour and provide continuous blooms. Gladioli, known for their towering spikes, bring vertical dimension to your flower beds.

July invites the enchanting fragrance of oriental lilies and the vibrant allure of begonias. Oriental lilies, with their large, fragrant blooms, become focal points in any garden, while begonias offer a profusion of colour, thriving in both beds and hanging baskets.

August brings the sultry tones of autumn-flowering crocuses, providing a seamless transition from summer to fall. Planting these late bloomers ensures your garden remains vibrant well into the changing season.

Autumn - September to November

While autumn is often associated with falling leaves, it also holds the promise of spectacular bulb displays. September invites the planting of autumn-flowering crocuses, colchicums, and cyclamen. Autumn crocuses emerge with delicate blooms, colchicums offer bold splashes of colour, and cyclamen carpet the ground with dainty flowers.

October extends the palette with the planting of nerines, which thrive in the cool, autumnal weather. These resilient bulbs produce slender stems topped with lily-like flowers, providing a touch of elegance to autumn gardens.

November offers the final opportunity to plant winter aconites and snowdrops ‘in the green’, ensuring early spring displays. These hardy bulbs herald the coming of winter while promising the renewal of life in the months to come.

Embrace the colour

Planting bulbs throughout the seasons is a delightful way to create a symphony of colours in your garden all year round.

By carefully choosing what bulbs to plant and when to plant them, you can create a continuous display of blooms that captures the essence of each season. Embrace the art of bulb planting, and let your garden transform into a breathtaking canvas of nature's beauty.

For advice on selecting the best bulbs for your gardening project, contact our knowledgeable team at Boston Bulbs on 01775 769333, or email sales@bostonbulbswholesale.co.uk. We have a wide range of bulbs available, with options to suit both novice and avid gardeners.

The Boston Bulb Company has over 40 years of experience in supplying only the finest quality horticultural products from farmers and growers throughout the UK and Europe.