Using your imagination

While your garden recovers from the cold, it’s time to start imagining which gifts you want to plant in your garden. There are dozens of varieties in many different shapes, fragrances, colours, sizes and heights. But which of them will give you the most enjoyment in the garden? To get you in the mood, here is a list of the nicest summer bulbs: the top 10

1. Dahlia
2. Lily (Lilium)
3. Calla lily
4. Ixia
5. Agapanthus
6. Ranunculus
7. Oxalis
8. Ornithogalum
9. Crocosmia
10. Anemone

Planting tips

Summer bulbs can be planted whenever you feel like doing some gardening. It’s fine to wait for a nice sunny spring day, just so long as you plant them somewhere in April or May. Don’t plant the bulbs too deep – they need warm soil to grow, and it’s especially the upper layer of soil that the sun warms up quickly, so that the bulbs can grow. Right after planting, provide plenty of lukewarm water to get the bulbs off to a quick start. Once growth is well on its way, provide some fertiliser (just mix it with the water in your watering can) for an even greater display of flowers.