Are you tempted in the autumn by colorful packages with healthy looking bulbs???

BUT: Consider that not every bulb will grow well in the nordic garden! Shops are offering lots to choose from, often without consideration for the climate of northern Sweden. Also, I would advice to carefully check each package for mould (green or white). Such bulbs will have a very bad start and it is better not to buy them at all.

Examples of bulbs which will almost always manage to survive, both long winters and not perfect drainig: Crocus sp. Muscari sp. Narcissus sp. Scilla siberica Flowering time: May-June (northern Sweden) More care "where to plant" demanding bulbs, but still often a success: Alium sp. Anemone sp. Fritilaria sp. Iris reticulata Lilium sp. Tulipa sp. Following tulips have higher chances in this nordic garden: Triump (Darwin), Apeldoorn, Yokohama, Flowering time: May-June-July (northern Sweden) Short info/bulb planting: Time to plant: September (before first frist comes....) Depth: depends upon the bulb size (follow instructions on the package) Soil cover after planting:usually needed, pine/spruce branches are very good ABSOLUTELY AVOID: Planting your bulbs on places of a poor draining, where the water in the season is not soaking well into the soil. Where am I planting my bulbs? between perennials which come up late near the entrance to the garden I try to group and mix my bulbs together, since they look much better than planted alone.

Photos & text by Joanna