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    • About Alan
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    Bulbs

    Home » Bulbs
     How to grow bulbs for Christmas
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbous plants, Bulbs, Greenhouse Growing, Indoor Plants, Winter colour
    Posted October 17, 2020

    How to grow bulbs for Christmas

    If you’ve ever wondered how to grow bulbs for Christmas, here’s how to do it! It’s not hard, complicated or even expensive to do this and can be very rewarding. In fact, to grow [...]

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     Re-plant your plant containers
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    By Alan Down
    In Bedding Plants, Bulbs, Container gardening, Seasonal Gardening, Winter colour
    Posted September 23, 2020

    Re-plant your plant containers

    Re-plant your plant containers now! Are your patio pots still filled with petunias and your hanging baskets with begonias? Well, whatever is in them, it’s time for a seasonal change! That’s [...]

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     Tips on Forcing Hyacinth Bulbs
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbous plants, Bulbs, Gardening tips, Indoor Plants, Seasonal Gardening
    Posted December 16, 2019

    Tips on Forcing Hyacinth Bulbs

    Tips on Forcing Hyacinth Bulbs     Hyacinth bulbs need to have well developed roots before they can be forced and brought inside. If you rush things and try to bring them on before a [...]

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     Layered Bulb Planting in Pots
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbs, Container gardening, Corms, rhizomes,etc, Gardening tips, Seasonal Gardening
    Posted September 26, 2019

    Layered Bulb Planting in Pots

    I call it layered bulb planting but some call this “lasagna planting”. It’s easy to see why. Planting spring flowering bulbs in layers one on top of the other really does extend the flowering [...]

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     An overdue visit to Keukenhof Garden in Holland
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbs, Gardens Visited, Travel
    Posted May 6, 2019

    An overdue visit to Keukenhof Garden in Holland

    Keukenhof Garden near Amsterdam puts on an astounding annual display of spring flowering bulbs. At the end of a cold and grey winter in Europe visitors flood to see this colour spectacle but [...]

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     Broadleigh Gardens spring visit
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbous plants, Bulbs, Corms, rhizomes,etc, Gardening, Gardens Visited, tubers
    Posted April 10, 2019

    Broadleigh Gardens spring visit

    Broadleigh Gardens is an impressive place! It specialises in growing and supplying superior garden bulbs and is situated just west of Taunton in Somerset. I visited the garden with the [...]

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     Daffodil Blindness and what to do about it
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbs, Gardening, Gardening tips
    Posted April 2, 2019

    Daffodil Blindness and what to do about it

    Daffodil blindness – that is apparently healthy daffodil bulbs but without flowers- is a puzzle to many gardeners. It can be easily rectified and here’s how. This phenomenon can be [...]

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     The Snowdrops at Elworthy Cottage
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbs, Gardens Visited, Visit Britain
    Posted February 14, 2019

    The Snowdrops at Elworthy Cottage

    I just had to see the snowdrops at Elworthy Cottage. I’d intended to go before but somehow had always ended up visiting the bigger places. These had huge carpets of ‘ordinary’ [...]

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     Why plant spring flowering tulips late?
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    By Alan Down
    In Bulbs, Gardening, Seasonal Gardening
    Posted November 1, 2018

    Why plant spring flowering tulips late?

    Why plant tulips late? In this blog I’ll explain why it’s good to plant spring flowering tulips late – even as late as November! There’s nothing quite as magnificent as spring [...]

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    About Alan

    Flora and fauna have always fascinated me but it was a lifelong career in horticulture that filled most days.

    Having grown up on a farm where boyhood days were filled with discoveries of the natural world I soon found that my passion for plants – wildflowers at that time – would direct my career…

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    2 hours ago
    This looks like a timely initiative. https://t.co/2xoNn9My9D
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    Alan E Down @AlanEDown
    12 hours ago
    This makes so much sense! 👇 https://t.co/jlMBWSMqRD
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    “The way you reform the NHS is by not reforming the NHS.”

    Former @NHSEngland Chief Exec @LordNigelCrisp says in order to deal with the fallout of the Covid pandemic and save the NHS, we will need to create a healthy society through a series of policy reforms

    #Newsnight https://t.co/7GoADsj4z3
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    January 17th and the last of last year’s #tomatoes have finally ripened on the windowsill! Ok, they’re not pretty but they’ll be good for cooking. #KeepBritainGrowing #gyo https://t.co/aDDwO0wlaS
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    alanedown
    The #hoarfrost this morning has turned to solid ic The #hoarfrost this morning has turned to solid ice but will soon be gone. This is on hemlock.
 #onmydogwalk #gdnmediaguild 
#jackfrost #frost #frostymorning #naturalworld #botanical #iceicebaby #thenaturalworld #naturessecrets #celebratetheseason
    Freezing fog all day has transformed what some cal Freezing fog all day has transformed what some call common weeds!
Teasel x 2
Common Reed
Hogweed
Broad leaf dock
Cocksfoot grass
Stinging nettle
Hemlock
Corn parsley
and Great Willow Herb

#thewonderofnature #hoarfrost #wildflowers #winterwonderland #winter #onmydogwalk #somersetlife #somerset #whimsicalwonderfulwild #botanicalpickmeup #distractionsandinspirations #underthefloralspell #thewonderinglight #jackfrost #frostymorning
    What a fascinating read! The Story of Trees and h What a fascinating read! 
The Story of Trees and how they changed the way we live by @florafanatica and @plantstoplant ! 
It’s full of fascinating stories about 100 trees of the world and a wonderful gift from @matthewsfamilyusa .
My only quibble.... why no iconic #baobab?
You can dip in to this one or as I did read it from cover to cover!

#treesofinstagram #tree #fascinatingworld #fascinatingnature #wildwood #treesforlife #natureisbeautiful #theconstantlycurious #allthingsbotanical #allthatsbeautiful #botanical #botanicalpickmeup #arborist #arboretum #dendrology
    Don’t waste your #ChristmasTree - #upcycle it to Don’t waste your #ChristmasTree - #upcycle it to protect plants! Cut branches off, lay on bedding plants and insulate others such as these bananas. 
#gardentip 
#gardenideas 
#inmygardennow #inmygarden #wastenotwantnot #recycle #recycling #banana #tropicalplants #winter
    Less frost here this morning but spotted this #hoa Less frost here this morning but spotted this #hoarfrost on Hylotelephium Herbstfreude (Sedum Autumn Joy) yesterday. The wonders of #nature !
    Old #orchards are valuable #wildlife havens. Here Old #orchards are valuable #wildlife havens. Here are 5 different fungi on old apple trees, dead ivy and elder in my neighbour’s old #orchard. Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), Gillet Cap (Tubaria app), Jews Ear (Auricularia auricula-judae), Stag’s Horn or Candle Snuff (Xylaria hypoxylon) and another I can’t identify. I’m an amateur at #mycology so happy to be corrected!
    Prompted by @tonyhall_1 of @kewgardens I post Ilex Prompted by @tonyhall_1 of @kewgardens I post Ilex aquifolium Bacciflava - the yellow berry form of common our native #holly. Never a favourite with #birds but eventually eaten.

#berries #gardentreasures #winter #wintergarden #gold
    Good to see these early #blooming #hellebores perf Good to see these early #blooming #hellebores performing reliably and providing some #winter cheer!
The first two pics are of Helleborus #Christmas Carol #inmygardentoday and the second two of H. x ballardiae Cinnamon Snow. Both excellent #christmasroses .

#december #wintercheer  #winter #helleborus #aseasonalyear #aseasonalshift #myquietbeauty #morningslikethese #botanicalpickmeup
    #wreaths and #stars using as much natural material #wreaths and #stars using as much natural material as possible. The first two are on our home and the last inside.
Happy Christmas everyone!
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