This Autumn's range will be available in August and contains many varieties which haven't been available in the UK before.  We've also added to our range of Allium bulbs, which are very much in vogue this season.

Some particular varieties to note:

• Allium Gladiator - Grows to a huge 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall, produces large purple flowers.
• Tulip Wedding Gift - A stunning, exclusive double tulip.  Named to commemorate this year's Royal Wedding but makes an idea gift.
• Tulip Yellow Spider - An extremely unusual looking yellow tulip.
• Tulip Sylvestris - The Native British tulip.

Planting bulbs is an easy and cheap way to get some early colour into your garden next spring - you just need to remember to plan ahead.  Spring flowering bulbs  should be planted in Autumn (usually September onwards).

Although in the first half of the year, the season was running about 3 weeks behind normal, nature has caught up most of the delay and things are only about 5-7 days behind normal now.

Below you will find the Autumn Bulb Update from Adam Taylor, Taylor and Sons Bulbs Ltd.

UK Daffodils

The recent dry conditions have made slow work of lifting and UK daffodil bulbs yields are lower than expected as a result of two consecutive arid growing seasons (UK daffodils spend two years in the ground).

Species Narcissi, Tulips, Hyacinth and Crocus

Many varieties are short on predicted yields whilst others have coped much better and yields are just as expected.  Crocus have been the hardest hit and are likely to be the first notable group that run short.  However, there is not an overall shortage of other bulbs.

Larger Bulbs

We've opted to delist the smaller bags of daffodil bulbs we've sold in the past.  The large bulbs we now stock in the 2kg bags will produce better, bigger flowers in comparison.  Personally, I believe that buying a smaller grade bulb would be false economy, the larger grades produce more flowers for your pound.

Larger Bags

The bag sizes we'll be stocking this year are 2kg and 7kg nets.  Although as the bulbs dry out the bags will become lighter, it does give a rough idea how big the bags and the bulbs are.

Last years nets contained 25 small bulbs (weighing approximately 250g) this year, the 2kg net contains appromately 30 bulbs.

More Variety

You can find our full range of daffodil bulbs on our site www.plantmenow.co.uk including some more unusual varieties.

In the 2kg bags, we've added the following new varieties:

• Las Vegas
• St Keverne
• Sir Winston Churchill
• Yellow Cheerfulness
• Ice King
• Tamara
• Binkie
• Camelot

In the 7kg nets, we have the following new varieties:

• Binkie
• Camelot
• Carlton
• Dutch Master
• Fortune
• Golden Ducat
• Lotherio

We'd love to know what you think, you can leave a comment here, follow PlantMeNow on Twitter or join PlantMeNow on Facebook.

Our full range of spring flowering bulbs will be in stock from late August / early September - weather permitting.

Tete a Tete Bulbs

Our tete a tete value bags contain 35 bulbs.  These bulbs are graded between 10 and 11 so are a good sized bulb which will produce a welcome show next year.  Tete a Tete is by far the most popular of the short stemmed daffodils growing to around 15cm in height.  We plant to retail our value bags at £4.95 each.

Woodland & Meadow Selection

The woodland and meadow selection value bag contains a mix of 40 spring flowering bulbs to create a woodland feel in the garden next spring.  Planned to retail this Autumn at just £4.95 per bag.

Contains:

• Anemone blanda mixed
• 5 Eranthis hyemalis
• 5 Fritilaria meleagris
• 5 Galanthus nivalis
• 10 Scilla siberica

Field Grown Snowdrops

Usually the first signs of winter coming to an end are snowdrops peaking up out of the lawn.  Our snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) value bags contain 70 single snowdrop bulbs for flowering February/March.  Planned retail price £9.95 per bag.

These Star Buys include some of our best performers and at £3.95 are great value for money.  We've made sure all the bulbs are a good size and grade so flower quality isn't compromised for price.

Included in the range are 6 Narcicci, 9 Tulips, 3 Crocus and of course Snowdrops.  The varieties are below:

Tulip Flaming Flag

• New bulb for 2010
• White with purple flame
• 45cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Tulip Buddy

• Short Stemmed
• New bulb for 2010
• White flowers with red stripe
• 15cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Tulip Dreamboat

• Short Stemmed
• New bulb for 2010
• Apricot orange flowers
• 25cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Tulip Mata Hari

• White flowers with cerise edge
• 50cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Tulip Olympic Flame

• New bulb for 2010
• Gold flowers with red flame
• 55cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Tulip Ronaldo

• Deep purple
• 50cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Tulip Fur Elise

• Short Stemmed
• Pastel salmon pink flowers
• 30cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Tulip Queen Ingrid

• Rockery Special
• Pale red flowers with cream edges
• 35cm flowering height
• Flowers April/May

Demand on unusual and different bulbs is often high and stock is limited, it's best to buy early to avoid disappointment.  If there are particular varieties you want to keep an eye on, add them to your wishlist or sign up for stock notifications to find out when they'll be in stock.

You know spring has sprung when you see the wash of colour daffodils produce in March.  We're adding more than 100 new bulb varieties to our Spring Flowering Bulbs range for 2010.  To kick things off, here are 5 rare or unusual daffodils, new to the UK this year from the Select Collection which will be available to buy and plant from August onwards.

There so new, we are still unfortunately awaiting pictures, but we'll post some as soon as we have them!

Daffodil Bella Estrella

Appearance: White petals with lemon yellow segmented centres

Height: 35cm

Flowering Time: March/April

Daffodil Brackenhurst

Appearance: Strong yellow petals with small bright orange/red cup

Height: 35cm

Flowering Time: March

Daffodil Modulation

Appearance: Pale yellow with light pink corona

Height: 38cm

Flowering Time: April

Daffodil Popeye

Appearance: White petals with yellow and white frilled centre

Height: 40cm

Flowering Time: March

Daffodil Precocious

Appearance: White with large deep salmon/pink corona

Height: 45cm

Flowering Time: April

Our full Autumn bulbs range arrives during August and is available to buy online.  Unusual and different varieties are usually the first to sell out.  Our stock notification system can send you an email on the day our delivery arrives if there are particular varieties you're waiting for.  Browse our full range of bulbs here.

These daffodil bulbs have been cultivated, grown or sourced by in the UK by O A Taylor and Sons Bulbs Ltd.  Read more about Taylors Bulbs History.

It was in 1919 that the Government set up a number of smallholdings for returned servicemen of the First World War.  One of these Crown Colonies was at Holbeach in Lincolnshire.  Otto Augustus Taylor, as a result of being gassed in the war, was unable to return to his occupation in London.  He applied for one of these new holdings and was successful.  With his wife and two sons, Stanley and Percy, he moved to the new settlement with a house and 4 hectares of land.

He soon realised that working the holding, as a small scale version of the neighbouring farm was unlikely to provide a living for his family.  He decided to grow flowers and bulbs and became one of the pioneers of bulb growing in this country.  Otto died in 1946 having seen the business grow considerable with the help of his two sons.

By 1968 the family owned some 120 hectares of prime Lincolnshire silt and the nursery facilities had been expanded.  John, Roger and Brian had joined their father Percy, and uncle Stanley, and in 1970 O.A. Taylor & Sons Bulbs Ltd was formed by the younger generation to supply bulbs to nurseries and garden centres.  With the retirement of their father and death of their uncle in 1985 the company was awarded The Royal Warrant as Bulb Growers to Her Majesty The Queen.  The Queen Mother's Warrant followed this in 1991.

Taylors are one of the largest bulb companies in the country, with their Dutch purchasing company; sourcing all types of bulbs from around the world, to be packed on their site at Holbeach.  Taylors force 88 tonnes of daffodil bulbs each year for flower production under glass from yearly November to February.  They also market over 20 million outdoor blooms in March/April the bulk of which are exported.

Taylors will have in excess of 3,000 tonnes of daffodil bulbs pass through the yard each summer.  In Spring 2009 their specialist daffodil division was successful in winning a hat trick of gold medals at shows nationwide including a Premier Award at Harrogate.  They also won their 16th consecutive Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

For the past 3 years, Taylors Bulbs have been voted the Associate Member of the Year by the UK Garden Centre Association.

View our range of Taylors Bulbs for Spring Flowering here.

View our range of Taylors Bulbs for Summer Flowering here

For 2010 we have eight new varieties available.

Big Brother

A beautiful rich yellow dahlia with a dinner plate bloom.

Edge of Joy

A very delicate pink dahlia with striking dark pink edges which gives a stunning contast to the blooms.

Cambridge

A spring yellow colour with strokes of red on the petals

Chocolate Candy

A dahlia with rich pink flower heads which contrast nicely against dark bronze foliage.

Blue Boy

A delicate lavender blue flower head will add an unusual feel to your display.

Myrtle's Folly

Has multi-hued cactus flower heads in pink and yellow and is truly beautiful.

Purple Haze

Has deep purple anemone flower heads and is ideal for you to grow in pots.

Sunshine

This dahlia has mignon flowers in a rich yellow with vibrant orange centres which definitely makes you think 'sunshine'.

For those of you who love dahlias you can be sure that these new varieties will add something special to your display this summer.

In March, using either seed trays or small pots filled with moist compost, plant the begonia tuber hollow side up just below the soil level.  Keep the seed tray or pots in a windowsill where the temperature does not fall below about 16C.  Water sparingly until growth appears.

To encourage quick growth cover with paper or polythene or if in a seed tray, a propagator lid.  Remove the cover as soon as you spot the first signs of growth.

Once the shoots begin to show, the growth becomes more rapid.  Give the Begonias the maximum amount of light you can without exposing them to strong midday sun.  Water regularly now and never allow the soil to become dry.  An application of a good liquid plant food will improve growth.

Begonias thrive in semi-shade and should not be subjected to the midday sun.  Begonias dislike dry conditions, so water generously especially in periods of hot weather.  Every two or three weeks, feed with a well balanced plant food such as Miracle-Gro or Miracle Gro Organic Choice.

Remove all wilted leaves and flowers to encourage flowering throughout the summer months.

Enjoy !