Bluebells

• Bluebells are easy to grow so you can recreate that amazing woodland bluebell carpet experience in miniature
• Nectar-seeking insects like bees will love the early food source
• They are a good plant for those tricky shady spots in the garden
• They are quick to spread (Note: bluebells grow so readily and spread so quickly they can become too widespread if left to self-seed)
• They are rarely troubled by any pest or diseases

• Use gardening kneeling pads to ease pressure on your knees whilst you plant the bluebells
• Bulb planters are useful for creating small planting holes for bulbs and plants. There are long handled versions of bulb planters, which you could use sitting down or to reduce bending, but you will need good balance and a strong arm to use them and they tend to clog up if the soil is damp

• Bluebell bulbs
• Trowel
• Liquid plant food (optional)
• Bulb planter (optional)

Most bluebells are grown from bulbs and grow well in moist but well-drained soil in partial shade. They’re well suited to growing underneath deciduous trees, which provide a bit of shade in spring and more shade in summer.

Planting bulbs in the green (spring planting): Plant your bluebells at the level that they were planted before they were lifted. You'll be able to tell by where the leaves turn white. This is likely to be a depth of about 10cm. Space them around 10cm from one another.

Planting dry bulbs (autumn planting): Plant at least twice the depth of the bulb, 15cm deep and 15cm apart. Bluebells should be planted as deeply as possible, 10cm being the minimum, and more if possible. In nature they are often found over a foot beneath the surface of the soil!

Once planted, bluebells can be more or less left to fend for themselves. They don't need much watering when growing in the ground, unless there are long dry periods that cause overly dry soil.

Optionally you can use a liquid plant food after the bluebells have flower until the foliage starts to die down. This will help build up their strength and size for when they flower the following year.

Eventually the foliage will die down naturally which is all part of their yearly cycle. Avoid mowing the grass the bluebell are on until the leaves have fully died down. It's also a good idea to remove the faded flower spikes before they set seed to prevent the plants self-seeding and spreading where they aren’t wanted. By leaving the foliage in place, the leaves will gather sunlight, create food through photosynthesis and strengthen the bulbs for the future.

Please note that bluebells in the green can take several years to establish themselves after transplanting. It is not unusual to have only leaves in the year following transplanting, even if the plants are in flower when you plant them. This is because the bulbs are re-establishing their root systems, and do not divert strength to producing flowers.

As bluebells are legally protected, it is against the law to dig them up from the wild. Bluebell bulbs can be bought from garden centres, nurseries and online suppliers. However make sure you ask your supplier to confirm the bulbs are cultivated, not wild–collected and also that they are both sourced and grown in the UK. This reduces the risk of pest or diseases being imported from abroad.

If you’re buying plants that are in flower, be sure to take a close look. The flowers of native English bluebells are a vivid violet-blue colour and the arching stem of flowers is held on one side.