Looking for bulb recommendations?

Hi I wondered if someone could offer some suggestions? I've got two relatively large beds that I need to do something with.. They are currently weed screened with slate chippings over.

The house is relatively modern and I'm wanting to plant a bulb that regrows each year and offers intrest. What would you do?

Many thanks, Steve.

 

Hi,

Think I would look at some of the taller more striking bulbs like Agapanthus ( better in large pots), Fritillaria Imperialis or Lilies.

You could use any number of smaller bulbs in the foreground to add all season colour.

Knowing the direction the bed faces will also help make the right choice.

 

I grow a shrub (see below) which would look great against the white background of your house and compliment the black features. The shrub is tough and easy to accommodate. It's called Sambucas Black Lace, there are other varieties too if you do a search on line. As your house is modern maybe have a look at Alliums which are architecturally "sharp" and might suit the look you are wanting. Agree with Ricky re Agapanthus and Lilies, both good choices for summer. Tulips are again quite architectural and you can buy almost black ones which again might be what you are looking for.

 

As soon as I saw the slate and house style I thought the same

Something like allium Christophii or Spider

We bought a few different allium from this site which gives you info on best position and size

Plant Stunning Allium Bulbs from £3.50

Once alliums have flowered, the heads will dry and give that architectural feel for the rest of the summer

 

How about eremurus? Could choose a colour to contrast the black Sambucus. But it does depend on the type of soil - they died out on my clay. Alternatively tall growing kniphofia would give an interesting shape.

 

Your house is a more modern style. so some gatherings of early colorful short tulips, and crocus and then later tulips and then later Alliums, might lean toward a "cottage" style of garden. If you want this, then a get a good bulb book and look at bloom times of each to get a bunch from earliest you see and then each month there after. Alliums as mentioned above most only start to bloom in June. And I can see large globe Alliums fitting nice there. What might be the trick to keep away from making sure its not a cottage look is color choice. I can see a defined choice of say "black" tall tulips, then "white, or yellow" tall tulips, and black again then white. Kinda like ---20 bulbs each, then 20, then 20, across the front. I am hoping with that center blank wall between the windows your seeing a trained shrub coming up the middle. BTW--The Alliums usually are thought of in the purple family, there are some that are more red-purple so that might be a more vivid color for that area.

 

Where in the country are you and what direction does that bed face?