Talkback: Summer-flowering bulbs

As the proud owner of some beautiful narcissi that are flowering whilst still in the nets they arrived in, I sympathize with your "buying too much" plight. But I never despair and I am sure the bulbs will be planted soon. The good thing is I can now spot exactly where I need them in patches bare of any spring colour. I can even pretend I planned it that way!

I buy weired and wonderfull bulbs and plants when we go to flower shows, last year at the Gateshead one I visited the dutchman on his bulb stall, hes very nice and you always get a bargin. Planting my bulbs in long toms last year when they'd finnished flowering they got put in different places round the garden to make way for other things. Forgetting about 2 longtoms I had the suprise of my life when my husband came walking up from the greenhouse with a longtom in full flower tete a tete daffs and to my suprise 3 large shoots of something from the dutchman sticking out the compost with them, not sure what they are but they'r interesting. This made me look for others, 2 more with something interesting pokeing through in them one is double planted some leaves are twisted, any idea? others look very lilly like.So I've 3 already planted long toms. At the end of this flowering should I empty them out and replant in new compost? I would like to keep them in long toms because I have very heavey water holding clay soil and a lot of bulbs have rotted off, only bulbs that grow well in it are the pineapple lillies which I have quite a few of now.

I also like buying bullbs, my children say im addicted! My garden is just full of bulbs and iv got even more to plant out this weekend. All my lilly's and allium bulbs are coming through so i do believe my garden will look a picture this summer as long as the lilly beatles dont make a meal of them.

My lilly bulbs arrived this week from Gardeners World Monthly Magazine, I can't wait to plant then in new tubs and see the wonderful colour they will bring to my garden this summer, It is the first time I have bought out of the magazine, so I am rather exceited.

Reply to gardens.dj, I think you're referring to beneficial fungi called mycorrhiza. Check out the web site for rootgrow friendly mycorrhizal fungi at www.friendlyfungi.co.uk. I also remember David Austin Roses selling such a product, too. They come as powders to mix into the soil at planting time.

I've just split two pot bound cannas up - and discovered after I did it that the books said I should do it in Autumn - have I killed them by doing it now?

Mary, I think you'll be fine. Have new shoots started developing yet? If they have then the plants and alive and well, and large plants can be divided and replanted in April at the start of the season.

I have been reading lately about the mycorrhiza fungus with a view to planting new roses into old rose beds! It appears that mycorrhiza gell is better for bare root roses, but according to the information so far It appears that the gell only lasts a few days in the fridge if you have any left. So far I have not been able to source small quantities of the gell mix, anyone any Ideas?

does anyone know of a new product available that you can put into the soil when planting a new rose in an old rose bed,

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.agriseek.com/buy-sell/e/Crops-Seeds/Bulbs/
Cheap bulbs from people all around the world.

Enjoy