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• Only divide the clumps when the bulbs have finished flowering. Much of the energy needed to bulk up the bulb will come from the sugars in the plant, not just the roots.
• This is a job to do when the ground is damp. If you have a dry area water an hour before you start.
• As far as possible try and lift the bulbs as one clump. Gently break the soil apart into clusters of half a dozen bulbs if they are small and immature, or single bulbs where they are of a good size.
• Prepare the ground thoroughly working in any additional compost as required and replant the bulbs to the same depth as they were originally planted.
• Give them a good watering and look forward to next year's show.

On Friday we moved the dutch-light greenhouses over the tulips and despite all the rain this winter they all look remarkably healthy. Depending on the weather glass will be added later this month to protect them from any rain damage.

On a brighter note, dahlias are proving as popular as ever, for few other plants give the gardener more spectacular rewards. Relatively inexpensive, they produce nice bushy plants which bloom consistently throughout the summer until the first autumn frost. Whatever your requirements, there is a dahlia to suit. They make outstanding border and container plants of dazzling colour and foliage, varying in size from the dwarf varieties to those growing to over a metre tall.

Below are a few cultural instructions to help you get the best from your dahlias. The advice does not change year on year but use this summary as a quick reminder.

• Dahlias will perform best in full or partial sun. Avoid a shady position. For the border choose varieties that will be tall enough not to be in the shade of other plants. The shorter bedding dahlias will do best at the front of the border.
• Dahlias are heavy feeders and require a rich well-drained soil, add plenty of garden compost a week or so before planting. Give them plenty of room from competing plants, about 30cm apart.
• When planting lightly fork the soil and rake in a top dressing of bone meal. Plant the tubers 10-15cm deep, this will help protect against late frost and ensure the plant has sufficient moisture.
• Although dahlias require plenty of moisture be careful not to over water, especially so when the plants are young.
• If we do get a late frost, always likely, give them some protection. I find old boxes or upturned pots work well.

For the taller dahlias, the following additional steps should be undertaken. These are not necessary for the shorter bedding varieties.

• Taller dahlias should be staked at the time of planting to avoid any damage to the tubers. The canes should be about 30cm shorter than the expected height of the plant.
• To encourage a bushy plant remove the top of the growing stem about a month after planting.
• Debudding. Remove the two outer buds from the three that form at the end of the flowering stem. This gives the plant a better show if all the buds are left the flowers tend to be covered up and lost in the plant.
• A liquid nitrogen fertiliser feed in mid-summer is beneficial but remember that over fertilising will encourage foliage growth at the expense of the flowers.

Majestic plants for late summer and early autumn the flowers are long lasting both in the garden and when cut. They are not troubled by strong winds and can be used anywhere in the garden, in the border or the vegetable garden for cut flowers. The dwarf and medium flowering gladioli make an outstanding and economic alternative to traditional summer bedding. They are guaranteed to keep their form and colour whatever weather the summer may bring.

Gladioli have what is known as a double rooting system. When planted fibrous roots appear from the base of the corm which sustain it during its initial growth. Fleshy roots then develop from the top of the corm which feeds the flower spike and builds up the new corms which form at the base of the flower stem on top of the original corm. As the season progresses, the original fibrous roots are replaced by vigorous new roots that search down for food and moisture.

Gladioli should be planted 12cm (5 inches) deep in light soil or 8cm (3inches) in heavy soil. They will thrive in any good garden soil, and benefit from the addition of humus materials, but good drainage is of primary importance. If you have heavy soil don't plant following heavy rain or a frost when the soil is wet and sticky, delay a few days until it has been warmed by the sun.

After about two months when the plant has formed five or six leaves you should be able to feel the flower embryo near the base. It is at this time you must make sure the soil does not dry out. It is a good idea to give the plants a good soaking in the evening for the moisture to penetrate to the roots rather than they turn upwards to find it.

Finally, depending on your planting and especially if you intend to use gladioli as cut flowers it is possible to impact flowering times. Generally, gladioli will be in their prime about three months after planting. If you want to, you can plant gladioli every weekend from the end of March until the end of May.

If you did not include gladiolus on your original order they can easily be added, remember there is no postage to pay using our membership scheme.

Yesterday this email was again going to lament the weather. What a difference a day makes, blue skies, bright sunshine and raised spirits. Despite being so wet it is certainly cold enough to start planting the rest of our bulbs. The planting of the Chelsea Flower Show tulips was planned for this week although the ground desperately needs a few dry days. Thankfully all our ground preparation was completed a few weeks ago, we are now just waiting on drier weather. However, the local forecast changes from day to day rendering any sensible plans moot. Let us hope that everything goes ahead for next year and we can all look forward to the shows next May.

Tulips do need a cool soil temperature to initiate root growth, they do not do well in warmer climates where pre-chilling is essential for any chance of success. Trials would suggest that this is at 12C and below. These cooler temperatures also inhibit any pests and diseases that may be present in the ground. They do not work for squirrels, but chili powder does. The soil must be friable, wet clumpy soil works against good root growth.

In a better autumn, the first light ground frost often marks the date for the start of tulip planting. Given milder winters the bulbs can be planted right up until Christmas. If bulbs are not planted on time, they can be planted until the soil is frozen solid. Root growth for most spring bulbs is nearly zero at 0-1C but will resume once the soil starts to thaw.
 
This week I am working on my stock, making sure I keep enough bulbs back for the orders still to come in over the rest of October and through November. The last of the bulbs from my cousin in Holland will be arriving over the course of the next two weeks, everything is then secured for this year. If you find you need a few more bulbs to take advantage of our membership scheme to avoid any postage costs. Remember any order this year automatically rolls over existing membership free of charge for 2021.

• Plan for tulips (or any favourite plants) in your design
• Perfect the colour scheme
• Plan with military precision
• Prepare the beds before planting
• Pick the best cultivars
• Find the right partners

On Friday we moved the dutch-light greenhouses over the tulips and despite all the rain this winter they all look remarkably healthy. Depending on the weather glass will be added later this month to protect them from any rain damage. With the Chelsea Flower Show starting on 19th May let us hope all is not in vain.

On a brighter note, dahlias are proving as popular as ever, for few other plants give the gardener more spectacular rewards. Relatively inexpensive, they produce nice bushy plants which bloom consistently throughout the summer until the first autumn frost. Whatever your requirements, there is a dahlia to suit. They make outstanding border and container plants of dazzling colour and foliage, varying in size from the dwarf varieties to those growing to over a metre tall.

Below are a few cultural instructions to help you get the best from your dahlias. The advice does not change year on year but use this summary as a quick reminder.

• Dahlias will perform best in full or partial sun. Avoid a shady position. For the border choose varieties that will be tall enough not to be in the shade of other plants. The shorter bedding dahlias will do best at the front of the border.
• Dahlias are heavy feeders and require a rich well-drained soil, add plenty of garden compost a week or so before planting. Give them plenty of room from competing plants, about 30cm apart.
• When planting lightly fork the soil and rake in a top dressing of bone meal. Plant the tubers 10-15cm deep, this will help protect against late frost and ensure the plant has sufficient moisture.
• Although dahlias require plenty of moisture be careful not to over water, especially so when the plants are young.
• If we do get a late frost, always likely, give them some protection. I find old boxes or upturned pots work well.

For the taller dahlias, the following additional steps should be undertaken. These are not necessary for the shorter bedding varieties.

• Taller dahlias should be staked at the time of planting to avoid any damage to the tubers. The canes should be about 30cm shorter than the expected height of the plant.
• To encourage a bushy plant remove the top of the growing stem about a month after planting.
• Debudding. Remove the two outer buds from the three that form at the end of the flowering stem. This gives the plant a better show if all the buds are left the flowers tend to be covered up and lost in the plant.
• A liquid nitrogen fertiliser feed in mid-summer is beneficial but remember that over fertilising will encourage foliage growth at the expense of the flowers.

Last week I reported that we had just moved our dutch-light greenhouse as part of the preparation for the Chelsea Flower Show, hoping that all the work so far had not been in vain. Last week the Show was officially cancelled, the very first time since World War II.
 
As my father would have said, periods of disaster are part of life, but eventually, normalcy will return. I read this week my grandfather's 1940 catalogue foreword. The bulb collection was replaced by vegetables and in May 1940, after the occupation of Holland, his nurseries in the UK were ploughed over and converted to crop production to help feed the British people. Despite all the hardships of the war, which included being arrested by the Gestapo for naming a tulip "Spitfire", there was an underlying belief that good would triumph and life had to be carried on. Indeed, at the end of hostilities in 1945, he returned to the UK courtesy of the R.A.F bearing a gift of flower bulbs from the Dutch Government to the British people in gratitude for the liberation of The Netherlands. Our problems today, although serious, are put into perspective.

Although everything seems somewhat surreal, we are doing our best to carry on as normally as possible. Out of habit we always keep a close eye on the weather at this time of year, sunshine and frosts for the next week, excellent weather to slow the tulips down. Spring has now officially started. 

I always try and measure a late or early season by the date I first pick my Apricot Beauty tulips. The average date over the last 70 years has been 6th April. Last year they were picked on 29th March, and by my reckoning this year they still have a few weeks to go. Our outdoor tulip festivals are still scheduled to go ahead, and they will have a bumper display of tulips.

Meanwhile, there is plenty to do preparing the summer garden, so I had better take advantage of the weather today, isolate myself in the garden and get on with it,

Majestic plants for late summer and early autumn the flowers are long lasting both in the garden and when cut. They are not troubled by strong winds and can be used anywhere in the garden, in the border or the vegetable garden for cut flowers. The dwarf and medium flowering gladioli make an outstanding and economic alternative to traditional summer bedding. They are guaranteed to keep their form and colour whatever weather the summer may bring.

Gladioli have what is known as a double rooting system. When planted fibrous roots appear from the base of the corm which sustain it during its initial growth. Fleshy roots then develop from the top of the corm which feeds the flower spike and builds up the new corms which form at the base of the flower stem on top of the original corm. As the season progresses, the original fibrous roots are replaced by vigorous new roots that search down for food and moisture.

Gladioli should be planted 12cm (5 inches) deep in light soil or 8cm (3inches) in heavy soil. They will thrive in any good garden soil, and benefit from the addition of humus materials, but good drainage is of primary importance. If you have heavy soil don't plant following heavy rain or a frost when the soil is wet and sticky, delay a few days until it has been warmed by the sun.

After about two months when the plant has formed five or six leaves you should be able to feel the flower embryo near the base. It is at this time you must make sure the soil does not dry out. It is a good idea to give the plants a good soaking in the evening for the moisture to penetrate to the roots rather than they turn upwards to find it.

Finally, depending on your planting and especially if you intend to use gladioli as cut flowers it is possible to impact flowering times. Generally, gladioli will be in their prime about three months after planting. If you want to, you can plant gladioli every weekend from the end of March until the end of May.

If you did not include gladiolus on your original order they can easily be added, remember there is no postage to pay using our membership scheme.