With September well underway, it’s safe to say that autumn has officially arrived. Rain has returned, temperatures rarely rise to 20C, and the days seem to be getting rapidly shorter. While many gardeners may have had a lovely summer sitting outside in their well-earned blooms, lots of people neglect their back yard over winter, instead waiting until spring to get back outside.
But it doesn’t have to be that way; there are a few simple and easy jobs you can do over the next few weeks that can create a winter paradise to look out onto with some plants hardy enough to survive – and even thrive – in the dreary British winter. One flower that is guaranteed to brighten up your garden during the Christmas period are hyacinths. The beautiful, almost bushy flowers can bloom in bright blues, pinks and whites and can be great left outside or even put into a vase and taken inside.
But for those wanting to give the winter garden a boost, they need to act quickly, with mid-September being the latest time to plant the bulbs if you want a Christmas bloom.
When at your garden centre or supermarket looking for hyacinths, make sure to buy bulbs labelled as “prepared” or “forced”; this means the bulbs have been stored at a cold temperature for a long period of time, essentially tricking the plant into thinking that it has already been through winter, allowing it to bloom much earlier than it would naturally.
When planting the bulbs, there are also a few little things to watch out for. One precaution can be to wear gloves, too, as some people report a reaction to touching the bulbs. According to gardening experts at The RHS: “Hyacinths are ideal for borders and containers, particularly close to paths or doors so you can appreciate their heady perfume.
“They prefer well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun if they are going to remain in one place for a few years. They will also tolerate partial shade for a one-off display, but they will bloom less well in the following years if left there.”
To plant your bulbs in the borders, it is very straightforward. You’ll want to push them into the ground around 10cm deep with their noses held high, with a minimum gap of around 7cm between each bulb.
Once planted, give them good water to settle them in, and a sprinkling of compost can also give them a boost.Over the autumn, they should begin to shoot and will keep returning for a few years. However, it should be noted that bulb performance and flower quality usually decline in the seasons afterwards.
The bulbs can also be planted in pots or containers, while many gardeners use the prepared bulbs inside and grow them as houseplants.
Although the RHS does warn of a few problems if you opt for the indoor route. They added: “Hyacinths are easy to grow in the garden, but they can sometimes be disappointing indoors if the flower stalk fails to emerge from the leaves before the flowers open.
“This happens when the room is too warm, and you can help by moving the container to a cooler room until the flower stalk has grown longer than the leaves.”