13 JULY 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 296 autumn bulbs for the border
Hesperantha coccinea ‘Major’ AGM
Very hardy, this crimson flag lily grows
from rhizomes rather than true bulbs,
and the copper-red flowers look
spectacular in drifts. A South African
native, it likes a sunny spot. Flowers:
Sept-Nov. H: 1½ft (45cm).Cyclamen hederifolium AGM
Sowbread flowers come in every shade
from white to deep magenta, and
decades-old corms are known to
produce 100 blooms or so. Plant under a
tree where grass cutting is not required.
Flowers: Jul-Nov. H: 4in (10cm).x Amarcrinum memoria-corsii
‘Howardii’
A cross between Amaryllis belladonna
and Crinum moorei, possessing the best
qualities of each. The soft-pink funnel-
shaped blooms have a delicate scent.
Flowers: Sept-Nov. H: 32in (80cm).Colchicum agrippinum AGM
The curiously chequered amethyst-
and-white funnel-shaped flowers open
almost flat in the sun (and plants do
prefer a sunny spot). Very free-flowering
in the second year and thereafter.
Flowers: Aug-Oct. H: 3½-4in (8-10cm).Sternbergia lutea AGM
Known as autumn daffodils, these
beauties for the front of a border thrive
in a thin, well-drained soil. They may not
flower this year from dry bulbs, but if
happy they’ll build up into large colonies.
Flowers: Sept/Oct. H: 6in (15cm).All photography Alamy, unless otherwise credited
Eucomis pallidiflora AGM
Pale greenish-white flowers are carried
on a long spike that takes up more than
half the flowering stem. The leaves may
flop against neighbouring plants, but it’s
elegant nonetheless. Flowers: Sept-
Oct. H: 1½-2½ft (45-75cm).you can create pockets of white (with
the star-shaped flowers of Zephyranthes
candida), red (the brightly coloured kaffir
lily or hesperantha), yellow (the so-
called autumn daffodil or sternbergia)
and shades of pink (with amaryllis,nerines, and more). All of these bulbs
are easy to grow, but beware as you
may not be able to find them all now for
immediate planting. Bulbs are highly
seasonal, and many specialist nurseries
only operate at certain times of the year.However, that doesn’t have to mean
missing out permanently. If you can’t get
hold of your preferred options now,
simply make a note to get them later,
so you can plant for next year. You’ll
be really pleased you did.GAP