Place layers of noodles, cheese and sauce in a pan, and you'll have a delicious lasagna. Do the same thing with flower bulbs in the soil, and you'll have a gorgeous garden display. Using "lasagna planting" by layering bulbs is a great way to ensure that you'll have a garden or container full of blooms right through the flowering season. As you plant your bulbs this fall, consider layering for a succession of flowers come springtime-as one type fades, another will be just starting to bloom.
Just like making lasagna, layering bulbs isn't difficult-”it just takes a bit of planning. When selecting your bulbs, consider bloom times, color, height and texture. If layering in a container, select a large pot that has drainage holes, or place a few inches of pebbles in the bottom for drainage, and lay a base of potting soil about 4" deep into the pot. Set in one layer of bulbs using your largest variety. (For instance, tulips and daffodils are large bulbs, while crocus or muscari are smaller.) Pack the bulbs fairly close together; they can be nearly touching. Add in another 2" of soil, then the next set of bulbs. Repeat with a third layer. Fill the pot to the top with potting soil and water well. You can keep the pot in your garage or an outbuilding until early spring, when you'll want to place it in the sun and wait for your flowers to emerge!
The lasagna planting method can also be used directly in the garden. Just plant the largest bulbs at the depth recommended on their packaging and layer smaller bulbs on top. Lasagna planting allows for a variety of colors, sizes and textures in a single space. Create a rainbow in a container, or plant several different flowers with a similar hue and varying bloom times for a compact, long-lasting garden display in your favorite colour.
These photos are courtesy of iBulb.com where you can find more great planting ideas!
