I’m skipping planting tulips this autumn – these lesser-known bulbs will give me far less work and just as much colour
These are the experts' top five alternatives to tulip bulbs
Whilst I love planting tulips, I fancy buying some alternative bulbs to tulips this year for my little garden.
Can lesser-known bulbs beat the best tulip varieties? I've asked some of our fabulous garden experts to see what other bulbs I can plant – let's see if they offer more than the infamous spring tulip! Off the top of my head, I'm thinking hyacinths and crocuses, but I'd love to have more than the stereotypical spring bloomers that are alternatives to tulips.
I mainly have pots, so I'm really looking forward to more variety, different textures and wonderful colours for spring, and not putting all of my bulb budget into one variety.
1. Fritillaria
'I love a fritillaria,' says Caroline Bates, creative director of Hayloft Floral and co-founder of The Dish Girls.
'They come in so many sizes, from the gorgeous, delicate snakehead to the tall, spire-shaped Persica varieties, and the imperialis varieties, which look like something quite exotic. They grow really well in our climate too – some of the imperialis varieties can have an interesting scent, so they’re great for placing in borders where they can grow up to a metre tall or more, so maybe avoid putting them in pots right outside your back door!'
Between September and October is the best time to plant fritillaria bulbs in your garden's borders, and they love both full sun and partial shade – you just need to remember to plant them pointy side up.
Where to buy fritillaria
- Fritillaria imperialis Rubra, from £4.99, J. Parkers
- Fritillaria persica, from £6.99, Crocus
- Fritillaria meleagris mix, from £11.99, Suttons
2. Ranunculus
I absolutely love ranunculus – they're one of the first really beautiful flowers of spring that come in a great array of colours, from white to pastel pinks, corals, yellows and punchy reds.
Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture, loves them too: 'Ranunculus produce rose-like, multi-layered flowers that can make excellent cut flowers. Soak the tubers for a day before planting in room temperature water, and when planting, the 'claws' should point downwards.
According to Richard, they are best planted where they will receive at least six hours of sunlight a day, and the soil should be watered gently after planting. 'Do not water the tubers heavily until you see green sprouts emerge, as excessive moisture in cold soil can cause rotting.'
Where to buy ranunculus
- Ranunculus Tomer Pink, from £4.99, J. Parkers
- Ranunculus mixed Persian Buttercup, from £9.99, Dobies
- Ranunculus Red, from £9.99, Thompson & Morgan
3. Grape hyacinth or muscari
'Grape hyacinths that we know and love come with bright blue flowers that look like a blend of a bunch of grapes and hyacinth flowers,' says Richard. They also come in various shades of blue, purple, white and a pale pink with a delicate look to them. For variety in your garden, they are great for creating some scale against the normal spring flowers like daffodils and hyacinths.
'The bulbs should be grown in moist, well-draining soil in sun or shade, and they can be naturalised in a lawn or planted in containers,' adds Richard. 'Plant the bulbs in small clusters by digging a small trench around 10cm deep, and then toss in a handful of the bulbs.'
This variety is one of the easiest spring bulbs to plant in pots and containers if your garden is small.
Where to buy grape hyacinths
- Muscari Pink Sunrise, from £9.99, Dobies
- Muscari neglectum, from £5.99, Crocus
- Muscari armeniacum Peppermint, from £4.99, J. Parkers
4. Summer snowflake
Summer snowdrops, or Leucojum aestivum, are often called summer snowdrops. They flower from around March through to May after the Galanthus snowdrops, that we know so well, have finished their display.
They also suit heavy clay soil, according to Lucie Bradley, gardening and greenhouse expert for Harvst Automatic Watering. 'Unlike the majority of bulbs which you can plant at this time of year, Summer Snowdrops thrive in damp, moisture-retentive soils, which means that even if you have heavy clay soil these bulbs will produce their tall, elegant, pure white bell-shaped flowers which are held aloft on flower stalks between 45 to 90cm in height.'
Mid to late autumn is the best time to plant your bulbs, between 8 to 10cm deep in a sunny or partially shaded spot in your garden. 'They are very easy to grow. If you miss the opportunity to plant bulbs from September through to November, then just like snowdrops, you can plant them ‘in the green’ in late winter, early spring, just like their close relatives, snowdrops, which will have just finished flowering when your Summer Snowflakes larger stems of blooms will take over,' explains Lucie.
Where to buy summer snowdrops
- Summer snowdrop, Loddon Lily, from £7.99, Suttons
- Summer snowflake bulbs, size 8/9, set of 20, £14.99, Amazon
- Leucojum aestivum Gravetye Giant, from £13, J. Parkers
6. Erythronium or dog's tooth violet
Erythronium, or dog's-tooth violet, is a graceful woodland plant with nodding, lily-like flowers. 'Depending on the variety, the blooms can be yellow, white or pink,' says Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres. 'The leaves are often mottled, adding interest even before the flowers appear.'
A spring bulb that loves partial shade, dog's-tooth violet ideally loves being planted underneath deciduous trees or among shrubs. 'Dog's-tooth violet prefers soil that is rich in organic matter but still drains well,' shares Julian. 'Adding compost or leaf mould before planting will help create the cool, leafy conditions it likes. It looks particularly good alongside ferns, hellebores and other spring woodland plants.'
Where to buy dog's-tooth violet
- Erythronium dens-canis, from £9.99, Crocus
- Erythronium calfornicum White Beauty, from £10.99, Suttons
- Erythronium Pagoda, from £6.99, J. Parkers
Essential bulb planting kit
Use these handy bulb baskets to keep your bulbs in one place in the ground. Once they've flowered, all you do it simply lift the basket up and you can then store the bulbs for next year. Another great perk is that they prevent them from being eaten.
This great value bulb planter will give you precision planting with ease. The stainless steel makes the job so much quicker as it can cut through even impacted soil.
Give your bulbs the best start with this specially formulated compost that supports bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths and other spring varieties. It encourages bulbs to replenish themselves and comes with 14 vital minerals.
Whilst I adore the varieties our experts have recommended – and I will definitely invest in them, I'm not sure I can entirely miss out on double tulips...
'I would skip single tulips, but I would go for big double peony style varieties, advises Fiona Macdonald, cut flower and foliage farmer at Flowers by Raspberry Wild. 'They last for weeks in the garden and are even gorgeous when they've blown – they get better and better. Nothing can replace a big, double chunky tulip like La Belle Epoque or Dreamer; they are highly impactful and look fabulous in pots, borders and as a cut flower.'