Spring into action
Margaret Griffin
One of the first flowers to dare to show its head in January and February is the snowdrop.
It’s a low-growing flower which is found growing naturally beside streams, on roadsides and in damp woods and is also stunning in a pot at your front door.
When gardens are bare in January, we love to see the snowdrop nodding its head despite the harshness of the weather. Its name is very interesting. The Latin name galanthus comes from the Greek words gala (milk) and anthos (flower).
The Irish name is plúirín sneachta which means snow pearl.
It’s very easy to grow, just plant it twice the depth of the bulb.
Crocus
As the days are getting shorter, the gardener in each of us is already looking forward to the first signs of spring. This why all gardeners love the little crocus. Crocus flowers are one of the brightest and earliest spring bloomers. There is nothing better after a long winter than to see the first crocuses poking their little heads through the soil. Their large cup-shape blooms suddenly appearing in tufts of grass like foliage seem magical.
Plant crocuses in masses under trees and shrubs or in lawns for a dramatic early spring start in your garden.
Crocuses are so easy to plant and this is the time to plant them. If you follow these easy steps, they will last a lifetime. They love to grow in well drained soil and get at least half a day’s sunshine. I would always add horticultural grit to the soil before planting. Dilute some tomato feed and soak your crocus in this dilution for six-eight hours before planting.
Plant the crocus bulb three-four inches deep and two-three inches apart. Crocuses have an upside that sometimes has the tip of the shoots showing. The bottom of the corm is flattened. Don’t worry too much about which side is up during crocus flower care and planting; crocuses have contractile roots, which just means they will adjust their position downward if they feel the need.
They require little to no maintenance in Ireland, just allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering in spring.
Margaret’s top tip
Soak all you spring flowering bulbs in diluted tomato feed for a few hours beforehand.
Get on your bike on 6 October for Griffins Annual Cycle for a local charity. Phone 021-7334286 for more details. You can now book your family into Griffins’ Pumpkin Festival on the October Bank Holiday or book your family visit to Santa in his cottage on griffinsgardencentre.ie.