Gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh has shared his favourite spring bulbs to plant in October, highlighting tulips and alliums for a spectacular display next year. In a recent video on his Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh channel, he explains: "I want to look at those real favourites of mine, the tulips, along with another favourite, the living drumstick allium. They're all statuesque. They all have great impact and when they come out, they can transform the look of your beds and borders for the better."
Why choose tulips and alliums
These bulbs are praised for their versatility and early flowering. Alan adds: "They're really incredibly useful because they'll flower ahead of a lot of the border plants and start the season of interest in your beds and borders that much earlier." Alliums are relatively straightforward to cultivate, provided they are planted in well-drained soil. They thrive in full sun and, as the climate changes, they are conveniently drought tolerant.
Alan advises planting bulbs sparingly, dotting splashes of colour throughout the garden. He said: "What I always like to do, is to keep the bulbs in their packet reminding me of what colours they are and then I drop one into a hole; purple there, pink here, another purple there, and a pink at the front. Then I can see the sort of formation I'm going to get."
Planting tips for best results
Alan adds: "If you want to do larger clumps of bulbs, you can. But in a tiny garden, five tulips at each of these stations will give lovely spots of colour, and they'll all complement one another being these shades of purple and pink." He suggests digging holes approximately four inches deep, positioned roughly two or three inches apart. Once you open the packet, give each bulb a swift inspection to check there's no sign of mould or fungus. Alan said: "They need to be fat and firm."
Ideally, they should be planted with their pointed ends facing upwards - though it isn't absolutely critical, as Alan adds: "Even if tulip bulbs go in upside-down, they still find a way of getting up. So, don't get paranoid about it. It's just nice to give them literally a head start by planting them the right way up."
Benefits for pollinators and garden control
By introducing some alliums into your garden, you'll not only be adding a vibrant burst of colour but also doing your bit for nature: "The great thing is bees absolutely love them. So, you're doing your bit for pollinators as well." Certain allium varieties, such as Purple Sensation, are so straightforward to cultivate that measures must be taken to prevent them from taking over your garden entirely: "Purple sensation can be a bit of a weed in that it seeds itself everywhere. If you don't want it to run riot in your garden, cut off the flowers once they've faded, before those seeds are dropped from the head. Then you can enjoy a modest plantation increasing in number but every year delighting you."
By getting these bulbs in the ground over the coming weeks, you are virtually assured of a spectacular burst of colour in your garden come next spring. As Alan puts it: "It's hard to imagine in October, isn't it? That all this is going to spring to life with glorious flowers of tulips and aliums, but it is. And the thing about planting bulbs is that you know all the work's been done for you in that first season. They will work. They will flower beautifully. They're firework plants. Just light the blue touch paper and stand well back."
