Leap into Spring with the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden favourite blooms

There’s nothing like a sea of golden daffodils sprouting from the ground to tell you that winter is coming to an end and spring has sprung! 

Read on to learn what else will be coming into bloom this spring, what tips we have for growing spring flowers at home.

Daffodils flower at the Garden

Daffodils now cover the Garden, and it's a perfect time to discover these little rays of sunshine from the comfort of your home. There's more than 150,000 bulbs currently in the ground, and this year we have added 10,000 new bulbs to the collection. These include 300 new African bulbs, endangered species and over 120 new cultivars of daffodil.

^{Did you know? The Latin name for Daffodils is Narcissus. Narcissus was a boy in Greek mythology, who became so obsessed by his own reflection in a pool of water that he eventually perished and turned into a daffodil. Narcissus poeticus was one of the first daffodils to be cultivated, and is often found by the side of water.}

Learn to grow bulbs of your own

Expert horticulturalist Mat Murray recently completed a trip to Turkey, and brought back a wealth of knowledge with him which he wants to share with everyone. 

Here are some starter pointers if you want to create some blooming beauties:

• Bulbs like fertile well drained soils, the addition of a good all-round fertiliser just before they appear above the soil works well.
• As a rule of thumb, a bulb should be planted at a depth of three-times the size of the bulb.
• Narcissus bulbs are naturally adapted to drier climates, so water them well once they have been planted, then only as required. If the weather has been dry, give them a couple of good soaks as they come up and again, before the flowers open.
• Blubs such as tulips, hyacinths and Muscari benefit from being lifted up, divided and replanted every three years.

Discover the new cherry blossoms

One of the most famous images of spring is the fabulous Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. The Gardens have brought in their own piece of Japan and planted new cherry blossoms, creating a total of 20 stunning blossom trees dotted around the garden.

Go wild for waratahs

Waratahs belong to the family Proteaceae, named after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his appearance at will. Members of the Proteaceae family come in many different forms and colours. Hence, the name is quite appropriate.

For more gardening inspitation visit our Waratah tips and tricks and let us know how your garden is looking by tagging us on social media.