Packages of dry flower bulbs, corms and tubers are often decorated with a pretty picture of a flower in bloom. After all, the products themselves aren’t that attractive. Well, not yet anyway. Because once these little guys are popped into the garden (or covered in potting compost in pots and containers), and are given a drink of water, they blossom into garden jewels! It’s really quite magical: unassuming flower bulbs transform into spectacular flowers.

Gardening for beginners

Because the flower is already right there in the flower bulb, there is really no need to have ‘green fingers’. It works every time! Anyone can plant flower bulbs, and it’s a nice little challenge to turn your garden or terrace into something special. Before you know it, you’ll be down on your knees hunting for the first green tips daring to poke their way above the soil. And that’s just the start of this little miracle.

How to plant flower bulbs

• Make a hole in the ground about twice as deep as the diameter of the flower bulb, corm or tuber; also check the directions on the packaging just to be sure.
• Pop the flower bulb into the hole with the ‘nose’ facing up and the ‘beard’ facing down.
• Cover with soil (on average, the depth will be twice the diameter of the flower bulb).
• You could also make a larger planting hole (or ‘bed’) to plant more flower bulbs.
• In this case, rake the soil to loosen it a little before planting the flower bulbs.