Plant Patch
Planting Bulbs
I have just seen my first flock of geese heading for the estuary and I know in spite of the warm weather that it will soon be time for bulb planting.
Preparing the Beds
The bedding displays of cosmos and zinnias will soon be looking tired .By the end of September they will be out and the beds prepared for spring flowering bulbs. This will involve forking them over and applying a little fertilizer to get the autumn bedding going.
Planting Schemes
Bulbs are planted months before there is any hint of colour or even a green leaf.Planted under winter flowering pansies,primulas or wallflowers these at least some structure or greenery.Planted in straight rows or in solid blocks of colour bulbs can tend to look rather formal.For a more relaxed look try scattering a mix of bulbs and planting them where they lie. Inter plant with primulas, wallflowers and forget me nots which lend a nice billowy effect.
Tulips
Tulips work well in a mixed planting because they come in such vibrant colours, of varying height and with a good mix of varieties can flower for weeks. Their flowers are held up well on slender stalks above the bedding where they create movement as well. Bulbs are so versatile and can be used in so many ways other than formal bedding schemes. They are ideal for planting among perennials providing colour before the perennials like lupins, delphiniums, hostas and dicentras get going. As the bulbs begin to die down the leaves of the emerging perennials hide the untidy bulb foliage.
Au Natural!
Some bulbs like daffodils, species crocus and fritillaries will naturalise in grassy banks or semi wild areas with bluebells and grape hyacinths.Camassias will grow in wet areas by streams or ponds and associate with drumhead primulas hostas astilbes all loving damp areas.Eremerus the foxtail lilly that grows about 4 ft high loves a dry sunny spot and associates well with tall late flowering grasses.and alliums the ornamental onions. The woodland bulbs like snowdrops, cyclamen and erythroniums want a cool moist and shady situation.
Container Planting
Bulbs are great in containers where they should be planted in layers to give tiers of colour and mixed with bedding like pansies and primulas. Small bulbs look fantastic in winter hanging baskets with bedding, heathers, small evergreen shrubs conifers and ivy. If that is not enough hyacinths can be planted in bowls to flower indoors for Christmas.
Positioning and Planting
Most hardy bulbs prefer a warm sunny site with good drainage .On heavy soils do not dig little holes, which will collect water and rot the bulbs. In heavy soil dig the whole area incorporate grit and organic matter to improve the soil. Most bulbs should be planted up to three times the depth of the bulb.Shallow planting causes the bulb to dry out in the season after flowering this results in poor flowering or no flowering in subsequent years. It also seems that deep planting gives more support to the bulb stems and less likely to be damaged by the wind. [See the tulips on the sea front]. Bulbs need no feed before flowering; they need feed after they have flowered.
Plant Patch 06 September 2005