Too late to plant bulbs?

[Fi]

I've just had our terrain enclosed with chain link (to keep small child with wanderlust corralled) and I have been left with a strip of bare soil about 50cm by the new fence.  I would like to plant some bulbs (daffs, crocuses,snowdrops) and then relay the grass (I won't dignify it with the term lawn), so that in the spring the flowers poke through the grass (well that's the theory anyway!).   I do know that the normal time to plant bulbs is the autumn for the following spring.  As a large chunk of the prep has been done for me I would like to take advantage of that.  Can anyone advise me as to whether or not it is a completely bonkers idea to plant spring bulbs now.  I don't want to confuse them so they flower in September! 

Spring has finally arrived in the Vosges.  The wild jonquilles, violets and other spring flowers have started flowering in the fields this week (the last of the snow melted about a week ago), and the trees are covered in buds - it's beautiful!

Many thanks

Fi

[hakunamatata]

Hi Fi,([:D]  Excuse the pun!  I think it would be worth planting if you can find any Spring bulbs to buy. No good if they are dried up or mouldy which they may be at this time of year, but if they are available and cheap what have you to lose?

[Pierre ZFP]

Good time to put in Dahlias for a nice summer showing

[Tony F Dordogne]

Fi, unless you've got some secreted away, I haven't seen any daffs or crocuses in the garden centres/bricos for some months now - usually they're not on sale until the late summer/autumn.

You may get some of the other bulbs, spring flowering but even they're a bit late now.

Why not grow something productive for the summer and then plant up the bulbs in the autumn?

[Fi]

I'm off to the garden centre very shortly to get a couple of troughs to plant up with some instant colour (and to block the gap on the underside side panel of the gate where aforementioned small child could do a commando-like wiggly worm escape manoeuvre) .  Good idea about something summery - I was just being lazy because the hole had already been dug (if you see what I mean).  I will see what they have lurking ... (or on very, very special offer - having a major economy drive at the moment!)

Have a great afternoon.

Fi

[andyh4]

As others have said, I doubt that you'll find any bulbs, but if you do there should not be any problem in planting them, they respond to temperature changes and not how long they have been in the ground.

[Russethouse]

Having tried to naturalize crocus in a lawn I would say if you can, do. It's much harder after the lawn has been laid.

[chrisb]

You should be able to buy snowdrops and other early bulbs "in the green" at the moment - though I've not seen them in garden centres.

They will "take" much more successfully planted like this than as dried bulbs in the autumn. Alternatively suggest to friends that their snowdrops and crocuses need thinning out and help yourself to the excess.

If you do find any daff bulbs around now I suspect that they may not flower for a couple of years as it's the energy they build up after flowering this year that provides next year's flower store. But if they turn out to be cheap worth a try anyway?

[ukhostland]

I'm glad someone suggested Snowdrops "in the green": ask around and see if neighbours have some for you. Of course, you could try summer / autumn / winter bulbs. Colchicums should be available before too long, for instance

Colin

[odile]

so happy to say that our meadow is full of wild crocus, snowdrops and niveols - just moved 2 weeks ago. Love it.