In the garden: Time to plant tulips to light up springtime

The frosty spell last week brought a brief winter wonderland to the garden.

What a difference a week makes, going from flooding and saturation to sub-zero temperatures and widespread frost.

Just in case you were in any doubt, winter has arrived and if you have not done so already, bring in those tender plants like salvias, pelargoniums, and dahlias.

The frost last week did not go deep down into the soil and if tender plants were outside, they may be blackened, but if they are brought indoors under cover now, they most likely will still regrow from the base in springtime.

The cold spell has brought with it good weather for planting spring flowering bulbs, particularly tulips that are best planted when the temperature of the soil has dropped to lessen the chances of fungal infections in the bulbs.

There are so many colours and flower forms to choose from with the highly decorative doubles, elegant lily-flowered, parrot type, and species tulip which are great for naturalising in the garden.

One certainty is that if you plant tulips now, you will congratulate yourself in springtime when those beauties appear and add a splash of colour and brightness to the garden.

There is such an array of colours and if you do the research and check flowering dates, it is possible to have tulips flowering from late February until late May in the garden.

The smaller, compact varieties are better for pots and containers. Tulip ‘Purissima’, for instance, flowers in March/April and gets to a height of 30-40cm. Tulip ‘Red Riding Hood’ flowers in April/May and gets to a height of 20-30cm - two firm favourites for container growing.

The taller varieties look great planted in beds and borders with emerging perennials chasing their tails!

I love the lily-flowered types with their elegant flower heads bobbing in the spring sunshine. Tulip ‘Ballerina’ gets to about 60cm tall and can reappear, though not as prolifically in subsequent years after planting.

It is a good idea to place any pots planted up with tulips outside exposed to cold and in a covered location so that they are not subjected to the rainfall. Good drainage is essential for tulips to do well so choose a sunny spot and include grit in the planting hole if the soil is very heavy.

There are plenty of leaves to collect as the cold snap put paid to most of what was hanging in there. I had to take a moment for the Ginkgo biloba I encountered during the week which was sitting in a puddle of golden glowing leaves. It is one of the last trees to lose its leaves and a great one for a small garden as it is slow-growing.

The leaves are one of the most distinctive characteristic of this tree with their fan shape. They have inspired much jewellery and prints over the years. It is quite a large tree at maturity but worth considering in the right location as it will take many years to reach a considerable height.

Some autumn leaves are more worthwhile collecting from the garden than others. Beech, oak and hornbeam are considered some of the best, breaking down over two years and creating a rich soil conditioner for the soil.

Leaf mould is not very high in plant nutrients but it is a great addition to the soil, providing nourishment for soil microbes and adding humus to the soil, which aids in water retention and the nutrient holding capacity of the soil.

The longer it is left to break down, the more crumbly the texture, helping to improve the structure of the soil and ultimately enhancing plant growth.

There are plenty to be gathered at this time of the year, and in doing so we make paths and walkways safer over the winter months.

Plant of the Week

Can we take a moment to enjoy the different foliage of Cyclamen hederifolium at this time of year?

Not only do these beauties provide pops of pink and white flower colour in autumn, they continue into winter with interesting marbled foliage and heart-shaped leaves.

These plants are hardy perennials and the flowers emerge from corms in early autumn after remaining dormant for the summer.

They are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and have adapted to avoid the extremes of the warm summer temperatures.

The flowers appear first, and then the foliage, which remains until spring when it dies back and the plant returns to summer dormancy.

They produce seeds after flowering which will naturalise throughout the garden if the area is left undisturbed around them, as it can take a few years for the plants to mature and flower.

Ideal for growing in a woodland setting, these little gems will do best in full or partial shade grown in a moist and free- draining soil with plenty of humus which they will get from the falling autumn leaves.

There are many interesting cultivars with beautiful patterned foliage which makes for some interesting examination as everything else is fading fast around them.

Winter in the garden becomes more about taking in the finer details now. Any sign of life is a welcome distraction from the fact that winter is here and we must wait some time before we see the re-emergence of new growth.

Plants that provide interest in the form of evergreen foliage, flower, scent, bark pattern, stem colour or any other good thing are valuable to extend the season of interest and take us out for inspection over the not so clement months.