To help you with your British bulb planting times and depths I’ve drawn an illustration help and clarify the various types.
Bulb planting time and depth
Click on the image to enlarge.
Tulip planting
Narcissus
HyacinthGrape hyacinthCrocusThe information comes from the rightplants4me website planting and pruning advice and is relevant for British planting times
I get daffs coming up in Portugal with foliage only – lots of long green leaves and never any flower!! Am I planting the bulbs too shallow? I am certainly not plating 15 cm down!.
Dear Allyson,
Bulbs should ideally planted three times their bulb length so that the bulb has protection from the insulating soil. Bulbs don’t like waterlogged soil – well drained soil is ideal.
If or when your daffs flower, after the flowers have withered dead head them but don’t cut the leaves off. The leaves should be allowed to die back which inturn feeds the bulb to last through to next year.
Maybe you have the narcissus grub which eats the bulb see:- http://www.complete-gardens.co.uk/online/online-pests-diseases-wildlife-category.php?cat=1
or maybe frosts kills the flowering shoot and is more likely if the bulbs are not planted deep enough.