Garden Design Ideas and Concepts
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When you begin working on any spring bulb garden layout or general bulb garden layout, it helps to start with a simple bulb garden design plan. Clear bulb garden plans make it easier to organize colour, bloom time, and height so your flower bulb garden layout looks full and intentional from early spring through summer. The following sections offer practical bulb garden ideas and bulb garden design ideas you can adapt to your own yard.
Grouping Bulbs
With spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils or hyacinths, plant at least twelve bulbs of one variety in a grouping. The more bulbs planted of one variety and colour, the greater the impact. The smaller spring bulbs, such as crocus and snowdrops should be planted in groups of 50 bulbs or more to have an impact. Smaller bulbs need to be viewed close-up so they should be planted along sidewalks, patios or entryways to the home. Three to six bulbs are suggested as a minimum number of summer bulbs of the same variety to plant in a grouping. Thoughtful grouping is central to any successful bulb garden design and helps turn simple ideas for bulb planting into a cohesive bulb garden layout.
Planting in Small Spaces
Plant bulbs of one colour in small spaces in the landscape. One colour will have greater impact and make the planting space look larger. Mixed colours planted in a small space tend to make the space look even smaller. In tight areas, a compact flower bulb garden layout using one or two varieties can be one of the most effective bulb garden design ideas. Simple, repeating drifts of colour are excellent bulb planting ideas for balconies, entry beds, or narrow borders where you want maximum effect from limited room.
Planting in Large Spaces
In large areas of the landscape where you have a lot of planting space, a planting of two or three different colours can be effective. Concentrate the bulbs for each colour together and do not intermix them. Also, be sure to select colours that blend together. White flowers can be effective in helping blend colours together or to brighten dark comers. When you have more room, you can expand your bulb garden plans into sweeping drifts and curves, using your bulb garden design plan to repeat colours and shapes across the bed for a unified look. This is where broader bulb garden ideas—like creating waves of tulips backed by taller alliums—can really shine.
Inter-Mixing Plants
The colour of spring-flowering bulbs is enhanced when they are planted with pansies or other compatible early flowers. The colour of summer-flowering bulbs will be enhanced when planted with summer flowering annuals such as petunias, marigolds and other annuals. Although summer annuals do not hide the dying bulb foliage, they do extend the colour of the flower bed throughout the summer. Many summer bulbs are tall and the lower part of the plant is unattractive after blooming. Plants like lilies and dahlias can be mixed with perennials, annuals or shrubs to hide the lower stem area. Daylilies are a good choice to hide the lower stems of the lily. The dwarf forms of daylilies like Stella de Oro do an excellent job of facing a bed. Blending bulbs with companion plants is a classic element of bulb garden design and should be considered early when sketching your spring bulb garden layout or any seasonal bulb garden design plan.
Lasagna Planting
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 four inches 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 two inches 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 sit it in the sun and wait for your flowers to spring up!
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 color. Among all the ideas for bulb planting, lasagna planting is one of the most space-efficient and works in almost any flower bulb garden layout. It is especially useful when you want a long season of interest within a small bulb garden layout, and it fits nicely into both traditional and contemporary bulb garden design ideas.
When you begin working on any spring bulb garden layout or general bulb garden layout, it helps to start with a simple bulb garden design plan. Clear bulb garden plans make it easier to organize colour, bloom time, and height so your flower bulb garden layout looks full and intentional from early spring through summer. The following sections offer practical bulb garden ideas and bulb garden design ideas you can adapt to your own yard.
Mass Planting
For the look of Holland, it is best to plant bulbs en masse. Whether you're planting six or six dozen, they make the best display when planted together in loose, informal clusters. By planting bulbs of one variety or colour in mass you will achieve greater visual impact by providing uniform colour and texture. Bulbs will be easier to care for since they will have the same cultural requirements and the foliage will mature at the same time. You should avoid planting in a single straight row or in a single circle around a tree or bush. Bulbs look better when they are planted in staggered free-form arrangements. This approach works beautifully in any spring bulb garden layout and is one of the simplest bulb planting ideas to implement.
Grouping BulbsWith spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils or hyacinths, plant at least twelve bulbs of one variety in a grouping. The more bulbs planted of one variety and colour, the greater the impact. The smaller spring bulbs, such as crocus and snowdrops should be planted in groups of 50 bulbs or more to have an impact. Smaller bulbs need to be viewed close-up so they should be planted along sidewalks, patios or entryways to the home. Three to six bulbs are suggested as a minimum number of summer bulbs of the same variety to plant in a grouping. Thoughtful grouping is central to any successful bulb garden design and helps turn simple ideas for bulb planting into a cohesive bulb garden layout.
Planting in Small Spaces
Plant bulbs of one colour in small spaces in the landscape. One colour will have greater impact and make the planting space look larger. Mixed colours planted in a small space tend to make the space look even smaller. In tight areas, a compact flower bulb garden layout using one or two varieties can be one of the most effective bulb garden design ideas. Simple, repeating drifts of colour are excellent bulb planting ideas for balconies, entry beds, or narrow borders where you want maximum effect from limited room.
Planting in Large Spaces
In large areas of the landscape where you have a lot of planting space, a planting of two or three different colours can be effective. Concentrate the bulbs for each colour together and do not intermix them. Also, be sure to select colours that blend together. White flowers can be effective in helping blend colours together or to brighten dark comers. When you have more room, you can expand your bulb garden plans into sweeping drifts and curves, using your bulb garden design plan to repeat colours and shapes across the bed for a unified look. This is where broader bulb garden ideas—like creating waves of tulips backed by taller alliums—can really shine.
Inter-Mixing PlantsThe colour of spring-flowering bulbs is enhanced when they are planted with pansies or other compatible early flowers. The colour of summer-flowering bulbs will be enhanced when planted with summer flowering annuals such as petunias, marigolds and other annuals. Although summer annuals do not hide the dying bulb foliage, they do extend the colour of the flower bed throughout the summer. Many summer bulbs are tall and the lower part of the plant is unattractive after blooming. Plants like lilies and dahlias can be mixed with perennials, annuals or shrubs to hide the lower stem area. Daylilies are a good choice to hide the lower stems of the lily. The dwarf forms of daylilies like Stella de Oro do an excellent job of facing a bed. Blending bulbs with companion plants is a classic element of bulb garden design and should be considered early when sketching your spring bulb garden layout or any seasonal bulb garden design plan.
Lasagna Planting 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 four inches 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 two inches 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 sit it in the sun and wait for your flowers to spring up!
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 color. Among all the ideas for bulb planting, lasagna planting is one of the most space-efficient and works in almost any flower bulb garden layout. It is especially useful when you want a long season of interest within a small bulb garden layout, and it fits nicely into both traditional and contemporary bulb garden design ideas.