Beginner-friendly flowers
As a general rule, it is wise to look to the southern hemisphere for summer flower bulbs. Another South African native that can now be planted for an impressive indoor impact is blood lily (Scadoxus multiflorus). Amand describes them as “a big ball of fiery orange red”, and says they are just as beginner friendly as amaryllis.
He warns that they can look deceptively sleepy and says: “It’s one of those things you put in a pot and it does not grow, then you will come down one morning and the thing will bloom.” In six weeks, Amand says, it will be “nothing short of spectacular.”
More experienced producers may want to try to get their hands on the last of the lachenalia bulbs, or leopard lily, which also comes from South Africa. Amand recommends keeping them cool until they are rooted and waiting for a riot of colorful tubular flowers in July or August. If you missed this spring, buy fresh bulbs in the fall – they will bloom next February or March.
Enjoy lilies inside
Then there are lilies. Arthur Parkinson, who towers an eruption of floral goodness from dozens of dolly baths in his paved front yard in Nottinghamshire, knows a thing or two about bringing color to small spaces. He recommends lilies, specifically the Asian varieties, which work well in sun or mottled shade outside and can be picked up cheaply. “They like to be planted deep in good, well-draining soil,” he says.
To get the most out of them, Parkinson’s suggests moving lilies inside for the three weeks while they bloom – but plant them in trios in long, Long Tom-style terracotta pots. “The scent is divine in the evening, so place them near the door anyway,” he says.
Parkinson advises not to be put off by the troublesome lily beetle (“this is a simple reason not to let them grow”), but warns that vigilance will be required: “Remove the red adults from the plant, usually “while they mate, and then use baby wipes to lubricate the roots that develop slyly at the bottom of leaves. However, this will have to be a daily task,” he explains.
In terms of varieties, he suggests ‘Tiger Babies’, which is saffron-orange with leopard-like spots, ‘Pink Flavor’, which is a warm coral pink, and the dramatic ‘Landini’, an ink-like dark maroon flower loaded by anthers . with orange pollen.
Matthew Pottage, curator of RHS Wisley, meanwhile mentions ‘Golden Splendor’ – a buttery yellow trumpet of a flower; Lilium regalewhich is white and sophisticated, and any of the lilium martagon cultivars, which offer an avalanche of beautiful, smaller flowers of long stems, all of which are still for sale as bulbs. For bonus points there is the pink-and-white striped Crinum ‘Cintho Alpha’, which Pottage calls “a delightful peculiarity to look out for”.
Ration planting
“Run online nurseries or call mail order bulb nurseries and find out what they have left: if you plant lily, crinum, ixia or tuberous begonia now, they will bloom even later this summer,” says Pottage.
Begonias, although tubers rather than bulbs, can be very rewarding, he adds, thanks to their enormous flowers, success in pots and equal satisfaction in full sun or partial shade. Gladiolus comes from tubers, rather than bulbs, but is nonetheless the easiest to get your hands on at the moment.
“They are brilliant value for money and will continue to bloom happily later this summer with their large spears of inexcusable color,” adds Pottage.
Whatever you find, he says, “Many of them will have been sitting around in a dehydrated state for a few months now, so soak them in a bucket of water overnight before planting to help them rehydrate.”
And ration the planting too. “If you manage to get a good number of bulbs in your hands, plant them at two-week intervals to give you a succession of flower pots,” says Pottage.