I call this the “layering” season. You start out the day in warm clothes, change to summer shorts and t-shirt midday and back to warm clothes for the evening. The cool marine breezes have stolen our summer heat!
Over the past few weeks pops of autumn oranges and reds are starting to show up. Fall crocuses are peeking out through the warm soil.
Many of us are now thinking of planting our spring bulbs. Bulbs too, like to be “layered,” quite like a two or three layered lasagna.
I recently read a great article on how to get dense and flowery spring time displays in your pots. Sarah Haven, English garden blogger, wrote an article back in 2012 on how to layer bulbs in pots using a method that the Dutch call a bulb lasagna!
The largest and latest flowering bulbs would go in to the deepest part of the pot, then layering the smallest and early bulbs on top.
The first layer would be planted about 11-12 inches deep, then are covered with a couple inches of compost. Then plant the next layer. Make sure that the bulbs do not touch each other or the sides of the pot.
Every year my husband and I plant bulbs in all of our garden beds. It is so magnificent to see such a colourful display return year after year following the gloomy days of winter.
After our visit this year to Keukenhof Tulip Gardens in Holland, we are excited to plant mass colours of tulip bulbs which will bloom mid-spring next year.
Something I have been doing now for a few years is to plant crocus bulbs right into my lawn. This technique of planting tons of bulbs informally through your lawn, under a tree, in a meadow or field is called “naturalizing.” Naturalizing masses of bulbs means planting in such a way that they look like they grew there naturally.
The trick to planting flower bulbs in my lawn means that they will have to finish blooming before the lawn needs to be mowed, thus my choice of early spring crocuses. From all my reading of this technique, it is better if you stay with a limited palette. I am choosing a couple of shades of purples. Remember, in nature, single plants spread and form masses.
There are many types of bulbs with different blooming periods that you can choose from. Check with your local garden centre.
Lynda Pasacreta is the current president of the Richmond Garden Club. Join us at our Wednesday, September 26th meeting for a presentation on the gorgeous gardens of Keukenhof and the Loire Valley in France. Meetings are held 7pm at Richmond Cultural Centre meeting hall, 7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond. For more information visit richmondgardenclub.ca.
