Bulbs and tubers

 

 

Dahlias: for the past few years we have planted out around 50 Dahlia plants in the Kitchen garden. We plant them out in May and they usually start to flower in July or August reaching a peak of flowering in September and October. Not only are they fantastically colourful in the garden but they make great cut flowers too. Once the first frost has wilted the foliage the tubers are lifted and stored for the winter. Then in early spring we pot them up into compost and grow the plants on before planting out in the garden. Along the way we split the tubers to make new plants. The buying of new Dahlias is restricted to one (or maybe two) a year – otherwise they just might take over!

Multi headed and fragrant - Narcissus Thalia

Multi headed and fragrant – Narcissus Thalia

Narcissus Thalia: White flowers and fragrant. This is a triandus Narcissi (Div 5) which means it has 2 or more flowers per stem. It’s an old variety – relatively short in height (so not so likely to flop) and flowering – in an average year – in April. We grow it under the white stemmed birches amongst red stemmed dogwood where it looks rather good.

 

 

Allium sphaerocephalon in flower - July

Allium sphaerocephalon in flower – July

Alliums:  we grow a number of different Alliums including Allium cristophii and Allium Purple Sensation.  The later flowering Allium sphaerocephalon is also a favourite.

Some other favourite plants in the garden:

Trees   Shrubs    Herbaceous perennials     Grasses