Bucks &amp; Oxon


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/DAHLIAS.jpg" alt="Dahlias summer-blooming bulbs" class="wp-image-185316" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/DAHLIAS.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/DAHLIAS-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/DAHLIAS-400x267.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>After the excitement of spring with its daffs and sunshine (praise be!), it’s easy to overlook bulbs for the rest of the year. But pop some summer-blooming bulbs into your flowerbeds and pots now, and you&#8217;ll be richly rewarded in a few months&#8217; time. Imagine it – sipping a sundowner amid a riot of blooms – and with minimum intervention. Cheers to that. </p>



<p>But what to plant? Muddy chatted to award-winning local garden designer Sam Proctor, founder of Amersham-based <a href="https://www.chilterngardendesign.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chiltern Garden Design</a>, to find out which summer bulbs she&#8217;ll be planting now for a fabulous summer display. Before you race off to the nearest garden centre, remember not all summer bulbs should go outside straight away. See Sam&#8217;s list below for which are frost-tender, so they&#8217;ll need to be potted up indoors or in a greenhouse until the last chance of frost has passed (usually mid-May in the Southeast) and they can be planted out. Once you see shoots appear, water them, then again at intervals when the soil dries out.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hardy-summer-blooming-bulbs">HARDY SUMMER-BLOOMING BULBS</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crocosmia">Crocosmia</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155059.356-1.jpg" alt="Crocosmia summer bulb" class="wp-image-185236" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155059.356-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155059.356-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155059.356-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155059.356-1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>These fiery plants will add zest and vitality to your late summer border. Sword-like bright green foliage in the early season erupts into small sprays of bright flowers in high summer, and stays flowering right into autumn. Try <em>Crocosmia ‘Fire King’</em> for strong orange contrasts, or <em>C. ‘George Davison’ </em>for a rich, egg-yolk yellow to brighten your borders. They&#8217;re not fussy so will grow in any soil.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gladiolus-byzantinus">Gladiolus byzantinus</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155148.070.jpg" alt="Gladiolus byzantinus summer bulb" class="wp-image-185238" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155148.070.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155148.070-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155148.070-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155148.070-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>This variety is more elegant and less brash than the typical garden gladiolus. In hot pink or white, these are perennial so if you have free-training soil you’ll be able to enjoy their stunning flower spikes year after year once planted. If not, plant in a pot.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-martagon-lilies">Martagon lilies</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155125.339.jpg" alt="Martagon Lilies" class="wp-image-185239" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155125.339.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155125.339-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155125.339-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155125.339-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>These gorgeous flowers have upwards curling petals like Turk’s caps, patterned with elegant speckles. They&#8217;re reliable in either sun or shade, and even in damp soil. Try <em>Lilium Martagon ‘Golden Morning’</em>, which has multiple golden blooms on each stem and will brighten up a shady spot in June and July.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nerines">Nerines</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155215.363.jpg" alt="Nerine summer bulb" class="wp-image-185240" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155215.363.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155215.363-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155215.363-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155215.363-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Nerines come in pastel to dark pink or white hues, and they&#8217;re like mini lilies. Try <em>Nerine bowdenii ‘Guernsey Lily’</em> with strong pink flowers on upright stems, which are sure to brighten your garden from October and into November. They need full sun and sharp drainage though.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-agapanthus">Agapanthus</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Agapanthus.jpeg" alt="Agapanthus summer blooming bulbs" class="wp-image-185225" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Agapanthus.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Agapanthus-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Agapanthus-400x300.jpeg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Some varieties are hardier than others – evergreens are less hardy (you can identify them from their wider leaves). Agapanthus love a hot sunny spot and quite enjoy being crammed into a tight pot, so don’t pot them into bigger pots more than once every couple of years or they won&#8217;t flower. Try <em>Agapanthus ‘Twister’</em> for an unusual white bloom with a royal blue throat.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galtonia-candicans">Galtonia candicans</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155300.082.jpg" alt=" galtonia-candicans summer bulbs" class="wp-image-185241" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155300.082.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155300.082-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155300.082-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155300.082-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Galtonia candicans, or summer hyacinth, have pure white waxy bells on very tall stems and are beautifully scented. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. It flowers from late summer into autumn and is perfect for the back of a border. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tender-summer-blooming-bulbs">TENDER SUMMER-BLOOMING BULBS</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dahlias">Dahlias</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155325.776.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-185242" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155325.776.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155325.776-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155325.776-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155325.776-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Dahlias have a long season of flowering and can be cut regularly for a vase display inside. The joy is that they have abundant, huge flower heads in a dazzling variety of shapes and colours. I prefer the single flowers which look much more natural in a border and don’t need staking like the huge blowsy heads of<em> ‘Café au Lait’</em>. Try the<em> ‘Bishop of Dover’</em> or <em>‘HS Princess’</em> varieties for soft whites and pinks to float naturalistically through perennials and grasses in late summer and into autumn.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cala-lilies">Cala lilies</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154944.138.jpg" alt="Calla Captain Ventura summer bulbs" class="wp-image-185243" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154944.138.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154944.138-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154944.138-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154944.138-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>These exotic-looking lilies are suitable for partial to full shade, offering a pop of white in a darker corner of the garden. <em>Try Zantedeschia ‘Captain Ventura’</em> for creamy white blooms topping dark-speckled foliage. They can either be grown in pots or in free-draining soil.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gladiolous-murielae">Gladiolous murielae</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155351.904.jpg" alt="Acidanthera murielae summer bulbs" class="wp-image-185244" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155351.904.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155351.904-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155351.904-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T155351.904-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Also known as <em>Acidanthera murielae</em>, these have elegant, arching, star-shaped white flowers with dark burgundy centres. Grow in a pot in full sun.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-schizostylis-coccinea">Schizostylis coccinea</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T160812.811.jpg" alt="crimson flag lily summer flowering bulb" class="wp-image-185250" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T160812.811.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T160812.811-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T160812.811-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T160812.811-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Also known as <em>Crimson flag lily, Kaffir lily</em> and<em> Hesperantha coccinea</em>, these<em> </em>beautiful late-summer blooms come in tomato red, pink or white. Moist but well-drained soil is their ideal habitat and in full sun. Try <em>Schizostylis coccinea ‘Mrs Hegarty’</em> for a show of pastel-pink flowers in August and September.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ixia">Ixia</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154904.027-1.jpg" alt="Ixia or African corn lilies summer flowering bulbs" class="wp-image-185247" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154904.027-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154904.027-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154904.027-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/Untitled-design-2025-03-10T154904.027-1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Ixia, or African corn lilies, have bright candy colours for a cheerful summer display and attractive sword-shaped leaves. Try<em> Ixia ‘Eos’</em> for an unusual apricot bloom that will come back every year.</p>



<p><strong><em>Sam Proctor MSGD is the founder of the Amersham-based design practice <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/chiltern-garden-design-amersham/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chiltern Garden Design</a>, which focuses on the Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire areas of the Chiltern Hills. Visit <a href="https://www.chilterngardendesign.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chilterngardendesign.com</a> for more info on her award-winning garden designs.</em></strong></p>


11 gorgeous summer-flowering bulbs to plant now

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