Now is the time to plant bulbs and tubers for a summer splash, writes JANE POWERS
IT'S TIME to get your summer show-offs into the ground. I'm talking about lilies, dahlias, agapanthus, cannas, galtonias, gladioli, calla lilies and their ilk. These are the plants that are the scene-stealers in the late summer and early autumn garden. There is not a shrinking violet among this bunch, for they are the shiny celebrities of the flower world, who refuse to be ignored.
Besides their impossible-to-miss presences, the above have one thing in common: they all have swollen storage organs. "Indeed?", you say, "How interesting, but is this something that we need to know?" Well, yes, it is actually. These enlarged yokes of which I speak are none other than bulbs, rhizomes, corms and tubers. They are the full larder of food and drink that the plant lays up each year just before it goes dormant. This store of nutrition, which allows the plant to burst into growth the minute it wakes up, is also of great benefit to our species, and to gardeners in particular. Such plants can be lifted from the ground while dormant, and - here's the thing - neatly sold on to gardeners, at relatively reasonable prices (because no pots, no compost and no care are required while they are sitting there waiting to be bought).
And right now is the time to buy them: in garden centres, DIY shops and even supermarkets. Get them planted as soon as possible, so that they don't start sweating and deteriorating in their packaging. You can plant them straight into the soil (at a decent depth, in case of late frost), but you could be taking a chance. Slugs and snails adore the first, tender shoots of lilies, dahlias, cannas and galtonias - and probably most of the other bulbous, tuberous, cormous and rhizomatous plants that you're about to buy right now.
A safer bet is to plant them in pots until they are past the munchable stage, at which time you can ease them into the soil of the garden. Or they can be kept in pots for the whole growing season (and longer). In this case, they require generously-sized containers. Remember that some plants, such as the taller lilies, can be toppled over in the wind, so make sure that they are in sturdy containers that won't take a tumble. And do give them good compost. The multipurpose stuff that one buys isn't really hearty enough, and needs to be bulked up with loamy soil, or John Innes No 3 compost. And remember (now that we're all composting like crazy), one's own mature garden compost, sieved, is a great addition to most growing mixtures: we use some of it in almost all our containers here.
If you choose to grow your summer charmers in pots, keep them well watered, once they start into growth. If the compost dries out, plunge the whole pot into a barrel, or into one of those infinitely-useful, bendy "tub trugs" that you can buy in garden centres. Don't remove until the bubbles stop rising.
One of the obvious advantages of growing these kinds of plants in containers is their mobility. Gaps in borders can be magically filled, with the pot sunk into the soil, if needs be. Or - if extra height is required - it may be raised up on a brick (artfully camouflaged by existing plants). Potted lilies, agapanthus, cannas and other show-stoppers can also be used to make instant focal points in the garden. A bold gathering of these big personalities is as arresting to the eye as a good piece of garden sculpture - and a lot cheaper and more portable.
Another benefit of containerising summer bulbs and their like is that you can control their conditions: most lilies, for instance, need air circulation, and may not be happy struggling to put on growth in a crowded border. And some of the South African bulbs, such as agapanthus, crinum, galtonia, nerine and eucomis, come from areas with high summer rainfall, so if you have them in pots, you can keep an eye on their water needs. Eucomis (which is also known as pineapple lily, or pineapple plant, because of its decorative top knot) is pushing its way into the A-list of fashion plants. The newish variety with bronzy-red leaves and flowers, 'Sparkling Burgundy', is in all the style-conscious gardens on both sides of the Irish Sea. I haven't noticed it for sale as a dormant bulb, but if you must have it, you will be able to find it as a potted plant in good garden centres in a couple of months.
These South Africans have traditionally had a reputation for being tender, which is another reason why you might consider growing them in pots. But unless you are in the very frostiest part of Ireland, they will be well able for our cold. A greater hazard is winter wet, so if you put them straight into the ground, don't insult them with a heavy, clay soil, and give them a south-facing position.
But whether you put them into the soil, or into pots, there is no time to be lost: spring is in the air, and your summer lovelies should be underground or in containers now.