The bulbs you plant this autumn will determine the look of your garden as we enter the earliest months of spring next year. There is nothing like a crisp spring morning, where you notice the first buds of your lovingly planted spring bulbs emerging from the soil, marking the impending start of the growing season.

What are the best bulbs to plant in early autumn?

There are a few bulbs that you should aim for to give you varied flower emergence periods through to the end of spring. And what better to start with than the first flowering plant of the calendar year, Galanthus nivalis, or snowdrops? Indicating the very first sign of spring, these delicate white flowers are a welcome sight peeking through the frosts of February. Joining them as early flowerers and another great option are crocuses, which offer invaluable pollen and nectar for pollinators emerging from their hibernation in spring. Finally, starting to emerge from February all the way through to May, is the humble daffodil, Narcissus, which is the ultimate indicator that spring is finally over the horizon, with its sunshine shade of blooms bringing colour and cheer effortlessly.

Looking ahead to March and April flowering, and, of course, hyacinths, both Muscari (Grape hyacinth) and classic hyacinths are staples to appear during the spring season. These plants are where a variety of bright and invigorating colours start to emerge, with pinks, blues, whites, yellows, and purples all being available options. Fritillaria meleagris, Snake’s-head fritillary, is one of my favourites for a memorable and interesting plant. Their bell-like reptilian blooms make a wonderful feature in gardens between April and May. And for a flower that will take you through the last weeks of spring into the start of summer, Alliums are colourful and eye-catching options for height and structure, their pompom-shaped blooms becoming a garden superstar.

Planting your bulbs

Where to plant bulbs

The best locations for bulbs to thrive are sunny positions, with good drainage, which helps them to come back after staying in the ground through winter. Sunny locations tend to be the go-to for most spring flowering bulbs, but there are a couple of exceptions. The common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, and daffodils, Narcissus, tend to prefer shadier locations, ideally somewhere with partial shade.

What depths do different bulbs need to be planted?

It is important to consider the planting depths required for your bulbs, as too deeply may mean your plants are unable to emerge, and too shallow will mean they are more vulnerable to the cold of winter and being dug up by hungry squirrels.

Here are the suggested planting depths for each of the already mentioned spring-flowering bulbs – remember, it’s better to plant them slightly too deeply, than too shallow, as they still have a chance of emerging:

• Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrops): 10cm, or three times their depth.
• Narcissus (Daffodil): 15cm, or three times their depth.
• Crocus: 10cm, or three times their depth.
• Hyacinth: 10cm, or twice their depth.
• Muscari (Grape Hyacinth): 10cm.
• Fritillaria meleagris (Snake’s-head fritillary): 10cm, or five times their depth.
• Alliums: 15cm, or three times their depth.15cm, or three times their depth.

How to plant bulbs

When growing in garden beds or even patches of lawn, saving yourself from back strain is important, especially if you intend to plant a considerable number of bulbs for an impressive spring display. AMES Tools Stainless Steel Bulb Planter is the perfect piece of kit to make this task as easy as possible. All you need to do is push the bulb planter into the soil, using the stainless-steel step to give you a little more momentum and remove a core of the soil. The stainless-steel planter itself has handy measurements engraved on it; this helps to ensure you create the perfect planting depth. Position your bulbs right way up into the hole you have created, and I like to give them a little twist, like a lightbulb into a bayonet fitting. Then you can use the soil core you removed early to position back on top of your bulb, and it’s all planted and ready to grow back in spring.

For more up-close and personal bulb planting, or if you are planting into raised beds or containers, a smaller hand tool is much easier to manage. AMES Tools’ Carbon Steel Hand Bulb Planter makes this easy, with a serrated edge to make piercing through tougher soil much easier. The plastic handle also has a quick-release feature, which makes it much easier to replace the soil into position after planting your bulbs. You could also make use of the AMES Tools Stainless Steel Hand Transplanter, which has a sharp, pointed blade for piercing heavier soils, and engraved measurements to get that planting depth just right. It’s perfect for consistency when creating your planting holes thanks to the narrow and curved shape of the blade.

Get your garden ready for spring this month and throughout autumn to guarantee colourful and pollinator-friendly bulb displays next year. And AMES Tools are the perfect companions to make the job effortless and fun.