![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.theguidetogaygardening.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/IMG_7119-e1450447656260.jpg\")
<\/a>Grab some bargain allium bulbs and get ’em in quick.<\/p><\/div>\n
So, I’m not always the most organised of people. Plus, I’m ALWAYS<\/em> on the look out for a bargain. Bulbs aren’t generally very expensive, and you can get quite a lot of spring tulips, crocus or daffodils if you hunt around for a few deals. That’s even more true if you’re buying other plants in the autumn by mail order or from websites; at this time of year you’ll often get a few bulbs thrown in for free. If you’re a bit late to the game like me, you can head to a few homeware stores where they’ll often be selling excess bulbs off\u00a0really<\/em> cheap in November and December. Whilst these aren’t the ideal months to plant in, as long as it’s still mild, it’s worth giving it a go!<\/p>\n I got my hands on a few alliums; 10 Purple Sensation and 60 Drumstick for \u00a33.96 – not bad! What most bulbs need is a period of cold before the spring warmth starts to creep into the soil. That stirs those little growth cells and you soon start to see the first nubs of green poking above the soil. Over the past few years, and certainly for the south-east of England, the really cold spell has been in Jan\/Feb. It’s still unseasonably warm here, and that means the earth has still retained heat from the summer months – in fact, my tulips and daffodils have already started to come up. So, on December 18th, I was bulb planting!<\/p>\n As you know, the garden’s still new so many of the borders haven’t got a lot in. Purple Sensation is quite a large and tall allium, proving some height and a real burst of colour the flowerbed. Instead of grouping it, I planted the bulbs in a natural swathe up the long, thin border as a way to draw the eye up the garden from one pop of colour to the next. The Drumstick variety, however, is more diminutive, so though I’ve still created swathes at the front of the bed, they’re grouped more closely.<\/p>\n I really love alliums and they’re fantastic for insects too. And, bulbs are really easily moved – just wait for the flowers and leaves to die back next year, lift, dry and then replant in the autumn. So if they’re in the wrong place as the garden evolves I can very easily change their location. I filmed a little video for the new Brimwood Farm YouTube Channel<\/a> too, so check it out!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n