by Millie Woodley, garden apprentice
Now is the time to plant spring bulbs! One cold autumn morning in November, the other garden apprentices and I spent some time in the potting shed keeping warm but busy, potting up a selection of bulbs to sell on the barrow and some for our pot displays in springtime when they’re flowering in all their glory. We planted a selection of colourful small daffodils and tulips which bring so much joy to the garden as the first bright heralds of spring. Potting bulbs is a pretty routine task, but this time we didn’t use your ordinary plastic pots.
We used vintage hand thrown terracotta! You really can’t go wrong with them, perfect for any long or short term pot displays, and they’re incredibly hard wearing. Even when they’ve been used for well over fifty years, it’s like they’ve just been bought new. They were kindly donated by one of our volunteers who was having a big clear out.
Old terracotta pots were fired, meaning they have the ability to withstand many harsh freezes in winter, making them perfect to leave in the garden without fearing that you’ll have to buy a new one because it cracked. Also, who could ignore that fact that you’ll be using one less plastic pot for every terracotta one?
These pots bring a much more earthy and natural feel to a home or garden, being made from the earth itself and formed by human hands. It fills me with warmth that every single pot is unique and has its very own form, and possibly its own unique story!
We planted a selection of bulbs including Narcissus ‘Minnow’, Narcissus cyclamineus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ and some Tulipa chrysantha. Keep a beady eye out for them being sold on our walled garden barrow in the vinery, open Tuesday-Saturday from 11-15.00!
