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Planting Spring-blooming bulbs in Cyprus can be a bit of a gamble. The anticipated riot of colour that follows the planning and planting of Autumn-planted bulbs can turn out to be a disappointing display of lacklustre, straggly flowers with small blooms.

The reason is, despite the plethora of bulbs available for sale in garden centres, DIY stores and even some supermarkets, not all of these bulbs are suitable for our warm Mediterranean climate. Some of the most popular Autumn-planted bulbs require a winter period of around 3 months in soil that is below 10 degrees C in order to spring them into action. It is possible to play a little trick on nature by storing these bulbs in a fridge in a paper or mesh bag, or egg carton (being careful to store them away from fruit, as the gasses they emit can destroy fruit), but that isn’t always practical.

Alternatively, you can ensure the bulbs you plant are ideally suited to our warmer climes. A good example of Spring bulbs that thrive in the Mediterranean is the family of Botanical Tulips, also known as Miniature Tulips. Botanical tulips are smaller in size, growing to a height of between 15-40cm and flourish in warmer climates like Cyprus’. They are hardy and naturalise easily, which means they will return year after year in greater numbers.