MAGICAL CARPETS OF PURE COLOUR; gardening.

Byline: WITH Diarmuid Gavin

One glorious sunny season ends... and another is ushered in by some cool winds and increasingly shorter days. Yes, autumn is upon us. So, as with all things gardening, it's time to start planning.

To ensure a succession of vivid spring colour, now is the time to plan, purchase and plant bulbs.

And, as the soil is still warm and pliable, it's the perfect time to make a start. Your local garden centres and nurseries will have their glorious new stock in so there's lots of choice available.

I've just returned from mine with bags brimming full of bulbs and a strong resolution to get them in the ground while the weather's still relatively pleasant. As with seeds in the spring, they're great value and so they help all those who need to garden on a budget. I've got a small grove of birch in my front garden, with low spreading branches. When all the leaves are out there's little that loves to grow underneath the canopy.

And those leaves are now turning a lovely yellow, preparing to fall.

So, given that the ground underneath will be bare and open until next spring's leaf burst, it's an ideal place to plant drifts of low-growing spring bulbs.

I toyed with the notion of a purple carpet of Crocus tommasianus or maybe a mass planting of blue 'Glory of the Snow', Chionodoxa. Snowdrops could also look great, but I like to plant mine "in the green" so no 'drops until next year!

In the end I have opted for some beautiful Anemone blanda. These small, dark bulbs look a bit like walnuts and it's not immediately apparent which side up in the ground they should be placed. If it helps, try to look for some root scars to guide you but don't worry, the stem will find its way to the light even if you do get them upside down.

Technically they're tubers and it's a good idea to soak them overnight before planting. I've put in a mixture of 50 blue and white bulbs so this little patch will be a delightful tapestry of pretty, daisy-like flowers and ferny foliage that will gradually colonise further each year.

On to the newly planted mixed borders in the back garden. There's still plenty of mid and late summer colour with roses, salvias, rudbeckias, achillea and verbena putting on a fine display.

However, I want earlier blossoms next year so I've chosen a lovely collection of tulips but, to reduce the risk of fire blight, I won't plant them for a couple of months yet.

Waiting in the shed for their moment to shine are dozens of Queen of the Night, with their rich plummy-purple colour along with Tulipa Viridiflora 'Spring Green', a very elegant cream with fresh green stripes.

Some tulips will return year on year but many disappear or lose their colour. Therefore to be sure of a display, you can treat them as annuals and plant them yearly.

I am also planting some alliums in the grassy borders, I just love this combination of purple balls appearing above bronze or green swathes of ornamental grasses.

I've chosen the old favourite Allium 'Purple Sensation', round balls of pinkish-purple flowers along with Allium christophii, Star of Persia, a globe covered with star-shaped violet flowers, and Nectaroscordum siculum, Sicilian honey garlic, which has umbels of gentle nodding bell-shaped flowers.

These May blooms will be preceded in March and April by a smattering of Narcissus triandrus Thalia, a white and fragrant daffodil. And, when I get round to it, the pots surrounding the front door, which have done well packed with summer colour, will be prepared for next year with a selection of dwarf bulbs such as Iris reticulata and Muscari, the grape hyacinth.

There is a yellow grape hyacinth, Golden Fragrance, which is highly scented and so it would be perfect in a pot at your front door.

Finally, I bought some prepared hyacinths for planting indoors for a burst of colour and fragrance around Christmas time. I'm sorry, I mentioned the C word! If you plan ahead, these make lovely gifts. Check on the packet how long they will take to bloom as different varieties take somewhat different times.

So it's a good idea to stick to one variety per pot and perhaps even stagger planting them - start off a few now and some more at the end of September.

They need to be planted in a general or bulb compost with their tips just proud of the surface, watered and covered in black polythene and put somewhere cool like the shed or garage. Keep an eye on them and don't let them dry out.

Once you see about 2in of growth, they can be brought indoors. Paperwhites can also be planted now but don't need to be put in the dark - just plant them up and keep them watered. Both of these can be planted outdoors after flowering.

So, out with the old and in with the new! Plan ahead for some great bulb displays next springtime. Happy planting!

DEAR DIARMUID

I have a white hydrangea in a pot, which I have had for about four years, and although it looks healthy, every year when the flowers appear, the petals turn brown within a week. It has always done this. Can you advise how I can solve the problem?

PAT, MIDDLES BROUGH HI

PAT, Hydrangeas generally like moist, well-drained soil, so as yours is in a pot you have to be careful about watering it sufficiently but not overdoing it. This could create the problems you describe. They also like to be in a cool, semi-shady position so if you leave them to bake out in the sun, this could also be the cause of the leaf browning. Finally, they don't like cold biting winds, so keep away from exposed east winds. Hope this helps solve your problem!

BEST WISHES DIARMUID

now of Plan ahead for some great displays next springtime about be

CAPTION(S):

SMALL PLEASURES: Dwarf bulbs such as Iris Muscari are good in pots, and hyacinths can be prepared now

DAZZLING: Daisy-like anemone flowers will create a pretty tapestry and allium will brighten up ornamental grasses

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Title Annotation:	Features
Publication:	The Mirror (London, England)
Date:	Sep 14, 2013
Words:	1041
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Topics:	Gardening