The lesser-known bulbs to plant for autumn flowers

Planting bulbs is all about forward planning and, for this reason, autumn bulbs are often forgotten. Planting spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils in autumn is a task that pops up in most people’s mental diaries, but autumn-flowering bulbs, planted in spring or summer, are much less likely to be on the to-do list. It is such a pity, as they provide an easy ticket to extra, uplifting colour in the season when other plants are dying back. Introducing the sparkle of nerines to a border or a carpet of marbled cyclamen under a tree can add another layer of interest to the garden, and most will return year after year, gradually increasing if they are happy in their spot.

Nerines are South African bulbs with showy clusters of pink or white blooms on elegant stems. Several species are in cultivation in Britain, including the tender N. sarniensis and its cultivars, which should really be treated as conservatory plants, and the hardier N. bowdenii. The latter grows up to 50cm tall, with rounded heads made up of about nine individual flowers with wavy-edged, sugar-pink petals. Flowering from September to November, they produce strappy leaves in spring, which then die down over summer before the flowers appear without foliage in autumn. Reasonably hardy in all but the coldest parts of the UK, they will be happiest in a warm, sheltered spot – perhaps by a south-facing wall – where they will multiply if left uncrowded by other plants. N. undulata (Flexuosa Group) ‘Alba’, which can reach up to 50cm, is more tender but makes a good candidate for planting in pots, which can then be safely whipped inside at the first hint of frost.

Amarines are a relatively new introduction, a cross between a nerine and an amaryllis. Growing to about 50cm, they have larger, flashier flowers than nerines and look more exotic, but they are surprisingly hardy. The x Amarine tubergenii Belladiva Series can produce up to 10 pink flowers on each stem. Both nerines and amarines should be planted with the neck of the bulb just visible at the surface, in well-drained soil in full sun.

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Hesperantha coccinea is another South African plant, but unlike nerines and amarines, it prefers damp ground. Sometimes known as the river lily, it has elegant spikes of open, six-petalled flowers that grow up stems that can reach 60cm tall. H. coccinea itself is fiery crimson, but there are other pink and white cultivars that may be easier to integrate into a border. ‘Wilfred H. Bryant’ (also known as ‘Pink Princess’) is a beauty, with palest pink blooms, while ‘Jennifer’ is a slightly darker pink. River lilies make lovely cut flowers, blooming from September to November. Plant them 5-8cm deep, with their roots in damp soil but their heads in the sun.

Autumn-flowering crocuses are gratifying creatures that spread veils of delicate hazy colour along the edge of a border, in a rock garden or in grass, to contrast with the tawny hues of seed heads and autumn leaves. Crocuses are so strongly associated with spring that their appearance in autumn is always a surprise and, like their spring-blooming relatives, they pop their heads up suddenly, as if by magic. Several species flower at this time of year, including the saffron crocus, C. sativus. In Britain, the most widely and easiest grown is C. speciosus, which has beautifully veined flowers of violet-blue, opening up on sunny days to reveal golden stigmas. Look out for the cultivar ‘Artabir’, which has larger blooms up to 10cm across. C. pulchellus is similar, but with smaller, paler flowers, and a mixture of the two can be effective. The bulbs are usually planted in July or August and flower not long after, or in September or October, with grassy leaves appearing afterwards in winter. They do best in open, sunny situations in well-drained soil and should be planted fairly deeply at about 12cm. Once they have emerged, you just have to hope for calm weather conditions, because these fragile flowers are easily flattened by heavy rain or strong winds.

Confusingly, when you type the words ‘autumn crocus’ into a search engine, it returns with results for the colchicum, which, although superficially similar in appearance, is actually unrelated to the crocus. Naked ladies is the other more descriptive name for the colchicum. The big difference between the colchicum and the true autumn crocus is that colchicum leaves appear in early spring and last until summer, which you have to be prepared for; they also need a more moisture-retentive soil. Slightly taller than crocuses, they stretch upwards on pale stems, reaching for the light. The meadow saffron, C. autumnale, is a British native and grows easily in grassy meadows – though the leaves are poisonous to grazing animals. Instead, you could try C. cilicicum, a free-flowering colchicum from Turkey with scented, lavender-pink flowers in September or October. For something more showy, C. ‘Waterlily’ has frilly double petals and is best grown among other low-growing plants or grass to support it. Like autumn-flowering crocuses, colchicum corms should be planted in summer, about 10cm deep.

Cyclamen is another plant with both spring and autumn species, and the easiest and most satisfying autumn cyclamen to grow is C. hederifolium. Valued as much for its marbled leaves as its tiny flowers, it blooms from late July to November. When established,
it can spread in great carpets around deciduous trees and shrubs. Enchantingly variable in nature, its flowers can vary from white through pale pink to deep magenta and its leaf markings vary, too. Anna Pavord recommends buying and planting them in bloom in autumn, rather than planting the bare tubers, as they will establish more quickly; they prefer dappled shade, in humus-rich soil. C. purpurascens is another autumn-flowering cyclamen, with deep pink flowers and evergreen leaves. Although it will not spread as readily as C. hederifolium, it is worth growing in pots to bring onto a table or shelf so you can appreciate its lily-of-the-valley scent.