IF YOU'VE forgotten to plant spring bulbs, there is still time to put in tulips - but do it immediately. In fact, better now than in the traditional bulb-planting months of September and October: tulips planted then are more likely to fall foul of tulip fire disease, caused by the fungus Botrytis tulipae. To further decrease exposure to the disease, which causes leaf distortion and discolouration followed by grey, fungal fuzz, don't plant tulips in the same place year after year.
Plant the bulbs a few inches apart in groupings in sunny positions. The deeper they are planted, the more likely they are to flower for more than a year or two. The almost black "Queen of the Night" reputedly has a longer lifespan than some other varieties. Rembrandt tulips, with the seemingly hand-painted flames and stripes, are the result of a colour-breaking virus. Plant them well away from other tulips to prevent the virus spreading.