Now’s the time to get those bulbs in so you can reap the rewards next year. Think of it like hiding little presents for yourself around the garden that are going to give you glorious botanical joy come spring 2024.

To save your the time of browsing through the bulb catalogues, and to nail that pro look, we’ve asked Charlotte Tremlin, head gardener at the gorgeous Wormsley estate in Bucks, to give share her expert tips on the best bulbs for one helluva spring show.

Narcissi thalia

Beautiful white flowers with sweet fragrance that naturalises well 30cm high April/May flowering. We use them to naturalise in meadows and planted in layers in tubs

Fritillaria raddeana

Gorgeous lime-green yellow flowers in a rare and short Fritillaria, perfect for borders and rockeries, but also a show-stopping pot plant. We use them as specimen plants in pots.

Narcissi bulbocodium ‘Mary Poppins’

Hoop petticoat type, they produce a succession of flowers in a striking creamy white. We use them to naturalise on grassy banks.

Allium ‘Summer Drummer’

This slightly smaller allium has pale purple flowers that bloom in June/July. They’re 1.2 metres high and we use them to add pops of colour to our borders.

Camassia Leichtlinii caerulea

With delicate pale blue flowers, this plant is excellent for naturalising and flowers May/June time. We add them to meadows and use them as cut flowers.

Tulipa viridiflora ‘Spring Green’

A green and ivory tulip which is reliably a perennial tulip, unlike many which don’t come back year-after-year. We grow these in pots for indoor and outdoor displays

Iris histriodes ‘Katherine Hodgkin’

This elegant showstopper is very early flowering, as early as January/February, even with snow on the ground. We plant them in beds and in shallow terracotta pots.

Tulipa ‘Angelique’

We love this beautiful gentle pink double peony-flowered tulip that is 40cm high. It’s normally planted in outdoor tubs at Wormsley and used as a cut flower.

Hippeastrum ‘Emerald’ (Amaryllis)

This delicate amaryllis in cream, light green and red frosting is a stark contrast to the bright red variety. Plant them in September-December for winter flowering or plant in the spring for summer flowering, but tender bulbs would not withstand a winter outside. We plant them for Christmas and a New Year splash of colour.

Hyacinth ‘Blue Pearl’

Dark blue/violet blooms from thousands of star-shaped flowers make this one stand out. It’s ideal for outdoor planting in tubs and for indoor displays. At Wormsley, we grow them in individual pots and plant them up in baskets for indoor displays.

Get your garden of dreams…

The winter garden quick fix – perfect containers
Easy gardening jobs to do before Spring
Gardening jobs to do in September

More about Wormsley…

Wormsley is a private estate but available for private hire and events. This Christmas, it’s hosting wreath-making workshops as well as floral design classes and ‘secret feats’ an immersive dining experience.