A blooming garden all year round. That's often the goal, but it can sometimes be quite a challenge! The trick is to plant as many different varieties together as possible, preferably in different layers. The reason for this is that each variety has its own flowering season. By coordinating and combining the varieties well, you can enjoy all the beautiful flowers for a long time. But which varieties combine well? And how exactly do you plant bulbs in layers? I'll explain it all in this article!
A lasagna of flower bulbs
Planting flower bulbs in layers is also called a bulb lasagna. It's a technique that's been used for a long time, but primarily in flower pots. I always fill my flower borders with several layers of bulbs in the fall. This way, you can enjoy a colorful display of flowers from mid-February to the end of June. After that, you can make room for all those beautiful dahlias.
The most important thing to consider when planting in layers is the different flowering times. It's also important to consider the order in which you plant the flower bulbs.
The different floors;
I always plant my flower borders in three different layers, arranging them from late-blooming to early-blooming. The last-flowering bulbs form the bottom layer of your lasagna, while the first-flowering bulbs form the top layer.
To help you with your flower bulb lasagna, I've indicated below which flower bulbs you can use per layer. There are countless combinations possible! You can combine flower bulbs endlessly, just the way you like it. That's the best part of a garden, so let your creativity run wild and create the most beautiful plant combinations yourself.
♡ The first layer.
Fill the first layer with the last flower bulbs to bloom in spring. The many different Allium and Camassia varieties are perfect for this. These usually bloom from late April to late June.
♡ The second layer.
Fill the second layer of your lasagna with flower bulbs that begin blooming in early April. This layer is best filled with tulips, daffodils, or fritillaria. Tulips and daffodils also come in early- and late-blooming varieties. The more varieties you combine, the more you can play with flowering times. This way, you can enjoy the flowers even longer in the spring!
♡ The third layer.
The third layer (and therefore the final layer) is, in my opinion, the most important. This is where you plant the varieties that bloom earliest in the year. After a long winter, these are often the flowers you enjoy most. They're also very important for insects awakening from hibernation and hungrily searching for food. Not much is blooming in nature in February and March, so you can help bees and bumblebees by planting early-flowering varieties in your garden. You can choose from crocuses, grape hyacinths, dwarf irises, and chionodoxa.
♡ How do you plant a flower bulb lasagna?
Once you've selected your favorite plant combinations, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get started in the garden. Here's a quick step-by-step guide:
- Dig up about 20 cm of soil and start planting the first layer of flower bulbs.
- Then cover the first layer with about 5 to 7 cm of soil.
- Now plant the second layer of bulbs. Mix the different varieties together to create a colorful mix of flowers. It doesn't matter if the bulbs are planted directly above each other. The flowers always grow towards the warmth of the sun, so they'll always find their way to the top. Once all the bulbs are planted, cover them again with about 5 to 7 cm of soil.
- Now comes the final layer with the early-flowering varieties. These are often smaller bulbs, so mix everything well and scatter them over the entire flower border. Cover the layer with 5 cm of soil.
- Healthy soil simply produces more beautiful flowers. That's why I cover the soil with a layer of garden waste in the fall. The worms and snails eat and digest the waste and then poop out healthy nutrients for healthy garden soil.
I hope all this information has inspired you to get started on your spring garden. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I'd be happy to help!
