Top 9 summer bulbs to buy now

Summer-flowering bulbs are fantastic for adding colour and interest to your garden. There are bulbs for every situation, whether sun or shade, big gardens or small, so you’re sure to find one to suit you. Here are our top 9 summer bulbs to buy and plant now.

Favourite summer-flowering bulbs for this summer

1. Gladioli: Gladioli produce tall spires of exotic-looking flowers in fabulous colours and can be planted outdoors in spring in any sunny spot with well-drained soil. They add a welcome vertical accent to planting and look great as cut flowers.

2. Oriental lilies: With their enormous star-shaped flowers, rich colours and intense fragrance, Oriental lilies make a big impact in the garden. Plant them indoors in pots in spring, and move them outdoors when the frosts are over. They make fantastic cut flowers.

3. Begonias: Begonias are among the most popular summer bulbs (although strictly speaking, they grow from tubers, not bulbs!) They’ll grow happily in shady spots, brightening up pots and hanging baskets with their vivid flowers for months in summer and autumn. Start them indoors in early spring and plant out in summer. 

4. Dahlias: Like begonias, dahlias are actually tubers, not bulbs. They come in an incredible range of flower sizes, styles and colours, and they flower from midsummer right up to the first frosts. Dahlias love the sun and fertile soil and make fantastic cut flowers. Start them indoors in early spring and plant out in summer. 

5. Allium: With their round purple flowerheads, Alliums make a remarkable statement on any sunny border, and there’s a wide range to choose from, from huge Allium giganteum to compact Allium schoenoprasum (chives) small enough for a patio pot. Plan them outdoors in spring, in well-drained soil in full sun or part shade.

6. Freesia: Freesias are prized for their exotic-looking colourful flowers and intense fragrance. Compact enough for a patio pot, they also make excellent cut flowers. In mild areas, the bulbs can be planted outdoors in autumn or mid-spring, in well-drained soil in full sun. 

7. Canna lilies: Canna lilies add a fabulous tropical feel to any garden with bold foliage and vibrant flowers. They need rich, moisture-retentive soil in a sunny spot, with plenty of water in dry periods. Deadhead regularly to encourage more blooms and lift or mulch in autumn.

8. Agapanthus: Sky-blue, moody purple, or gleaming white, Agapanthus flowers stand out in summer, with their round flower heads on tall stems. They love well-drained soil, and plenty of sun, and the flowerheads look good even after they’ve faded.

9. Sparaxis: With their colourful star-shaped flowers bobbing on slender stems, Sparaxis (harlequin flowers) look delightful in containers or at the front of a border. Plant the bulbs in pots in a greenhouse in spring and move them outside after the frosts are over.

Want to brighten up your borders this summer? Visit us today and choose from our fantastic range of summer-flowering bulbs.