Gourmet Gardener: Now is the time to plant bulbs

Our Gourmet Gardener, Tara Kate Linnane, looks at what bulbs are best for planting around about now..

The heavy work has definitely started to wind down, particularly as we move into the month of October. The weather can be mixed and unsettled, turning from warm days to frosty nights. Already thoughts are drifting to the warmer fresh days of early spring, and all the life that comes with it.

In order to prepare for that, the end of September into early October is a good time to plant your bulbs, both the edible kind and the colourful kind.

Planting garlic

Autumn-planting varieties of garlic are often planted outside this month, but if you have a polytunnel it is worth growing a few plants under protection. They will grow much faster and you may even get some useful bulbs in March.

Take a bulb of garlic and separate the cloves. Push the individual cloves into the soil allowing about 6inches of a gap between them. If you are tight on space, you can grow garlic in pots and move them outdoors when the weather warms up.

The young plants can be planted outdoors to fill any spaces in the row in spring. Garlic is something that I tend to use in almost every meal, so knowing that I can just go out to the garden to collect some beautiful fresh bulbs in a couple of months makes the effort and wait worthwhile. They also store well over winter so the more you grow, the better.

Flowering Allium bulbs

In spring, it is a joy to see the beautiful purple pom-pom heads of the popular Allium explode into colour. These bulbs can be planted now for next year’s display. An interesting fact is that the flowering Allium we know and love is a close relative of the onion and garlic bulb.

The name ‘Allium’ comes from the genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants that includes species such as scallions, shallots, leeks, and chives.

The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic, and the species Allium sativum means ‘cultivated garlic’. If you ever see flowers on onion plants, you will recognise the globe structure.

Other flowering bulbs to plant

Now is the best time for planting any flowering bulbs. If you start planting in September, October and early November, you’ll have a garden full of vibrant colours from January to June next year. Planning now can give you a succession of colour through your garden. Start planting crocus in October and they’ll be greeting you in January. Plant daffodils now and you’ll see them brightly glowing in March. If you plant tulips, you’ll see a garden in full array of colours by April.

Planting flower bulbs is simple to do and will provide the ultimate source of delight in the spring season. They are really low maintenance and will come back year after year. You don’t need to be an experienced gardener and can plant them in a few quick steps. Make sure you get dry, plump bulbs.

Generally, big bulbs are planted at about 20cm deep, while small bulbs are planted at about 12cm deep. Check the planting directions specific to your selected bulb. Plant the bulb with the pointed end facing up. If it has no pointed end, look for the roots and plant that side facing down.

Bulbs can offer food to eat and flowers to enjoy and can be a refuge for wildlife, such as bees and butterflies. With flower bulbs, your only limit is your imagination! You can get creative with your designs. They are widely available in shops now, so make sure to get them in pots or the ground and get ready to see them emerge cheerfully in Spring.

Happy planting!

• Tara Kate Linnane is from Kilnaleck in County Cavan. She is a horticulturalist with a passion for growing vegetables at home. She has an Instagram page with her husband @two peas in a polytunnel.