Bulb planting 101. Where to start.

Hi. I apologise in advance for my ignorance but I have some very basic questions the answers to which I'm sure are all common sense. This is the first time I have attempted to plan a garden properly (rather than just randomly stick plants in holes) and I want to do it properly. It's a bit too dark to take a photo now so I will try to remember to do it tomorrow.

The site is in the sun from mid morning until dusk. I have a couple of spindly rose bushes there that I will keep. I am thinking of covering the ground with something like campanula carpatica in a mixture of blue and white. (Or any other multicoloured alternatives, anemone etc.)

I would like to know if any bulbs I plant would show through the ground cover. I would like some daffodils in the spring. I also would like something like maybe the odd allium to push up between everything in the summer and add a bit of variety to the bed.

Is this how it works? Sorry if I'm being thick. I have read that it is possible to plant several different species of bulb in the same hole. There are already some snowdrops in there I transplanted from elsewhere several years ago. I am keen not to disturb them as they have worked well to date. It would be nice to intersperse a few more.

As always. All help will be appreciated.

G.

 

Carpatica is more of a mound forming compact plant Jack Sparrow.....not really a vigorous spreader. I would suggest Birch Hybrid...... wide spreading and flowers all summer long. Purple blue velvety looking flowers. Evergreen here.
If you want white flowers to complement it check out geranium Combland White .......again long flowering, easy and vigorous. I think the two work well together.
At planting time get your bulbs in.....whatever you like, except crocus (weedy, overated things in my opinion).
Allium Purple Sensation is, well, "sensational".......plant in 3's about 4" apart to make superb purple impact in late spring. Get early daffodils as well as mid and late ones. A few lilies for early summer.....dont go for a mixture but go for named varieties or colours to again plant in 3's . Lots of different random colours can look messy

 

It will be easier of course to visualise the plan once I have taken the photo. I chose the blue and white combination as they were the two colours available in that plant. I don't really mind what colours they are as long as everything in the bed compliments each other. I guess as all the plants will be out at different times, the colour combinations will be less of an issue.

The orange memorial tree will be at the far end. The roses in the middle, off the top of my head, are pink and red. Purple alliums would look fab. Not too many. I just want the odd one poking up between and around the roses. I had thought about a splash of yellow with a single geum lady strathdene or something similar. It sounds nice but it might be to much going on. There is only so much room.

Can I add a splash of autumn colour by mixing the ground cover plants with something like Michaelmas daisies? Again this might be too much.

Anyway. I'll take the photo tomorrow and then take it from there.

G.

 

Take measurements, work out spacings and make sketches. Decide on a look
Too many colours, too many different plants will not be a good look. You mention blue and white, purple, yellow, orange and the colour of your roses too. You mention Michaelmas daisies.....will they be pink, red ??
A basic colour scheme could feature spring flowering bulbs and summer flowering perennials, the former giving way to the latter.
The blue and white? Yes, nice in theory but the plants you mention are small mounds and to flower for any length of time require regular deadheading.
Yes michaelmas dasies for autumn but remember they take space and look rather boring for most of the summer......However, Aster Frikarti Monch will provide late summer AND autumn flowers....... a double value plant
You have a relatively small space.....dont you?.....here I grow a large number of plants but they all have space, room to grow to their full height and spread. You need to consider fewer plants growing well

 

I actually don't plant several in the same "hole".

How to begin. humm. a good bulb catalog. IT will tell you when each blooms, and how long, height etc. color. so you can pace out the bulbs to start early and so on . I started my gardens long before these forums started. so I was old school. sitting with books, making lists. organizing a time table, height, color. etc. Drew out pictures of the space, feet etc.

 

Forgive my question, but: is that mid-summer time; mid-winter time; Spring or Autumn? I'm sure you already know that the changing of the season changes ... well, the amount of light and, equally, the strength of sun. Certainly something to consider and I apologise, in advance, for mentioning it. However, it *is* relevant

Yes, bulbs would push through most ground cover plants
One thing to consider would be rodent activity. I've *lost* bulbs due to this. I have learned that one way to protect newly planted Spring bulbs would be to put a layer of small holed chicken wire over the planting area to prevent rodents digging down and eating the bulbs. Sometimes, it even works!

 

As above , some planning with a pen and paper and some Googling is needed . Bulbs obviously flower at different times and for different lengths of time. The two you mentioned Daffs are spring and lovely Alliums early summer - all gone by July.
The chart below, if you enlarge it , shows a good overview of bulbs/plants with blooming periods and planting depths. Lots of info like this on Google images.

 

In Cornwall breeders have led the way in producing daffs to flower for many months of the year. In my own garden they appear long before xmas and can go on well into late spring so it is always sensible to check the flowering period when choosing daffodils.
Useful info HarryS

 

not sure if you have trees that will fill in with leaves or not. that is a thing to consider. Example I can grow the "early tulips" because my trees are not in leaf thus producing shade. If those early tulips had the shade, they would not work. So you have to judge those issues also.

 

It's a better day today so I thought I would take some photos. I would be interested to know if anybody can identify the ground cover plant. It's a bit messy now and doesn't flower but it's texture is quite interesting.

To take this photo I have to point South West. It was taken at approx 2.30 on sunny day with intermittent cloud cover.

G.

 

Gary, my old eyes are not identifying your ground cover sorry. Sure someone will id though. However, I would plant something more than just "interesting" there......some lavendar for a welcome scent as you pass by for example.....following the curve between bed and gravel. Nepeta would carpet quite nicely there with blue flowers all summer. Or a couple of hardy geraniums...?
Hey! Is that your taxi parked there?

 

Funnily enough ...

 

take a bit of that ground cover to a local nursery they will tell you.

 

@Verdun you mean the truck on the road don't you? Sorry. I should scroll before I post.

Just curious about the existing ground cover. Thanks anyway.

At the far left by the gate is where my "Tommy bush" is going. I have already taken out the straggly rose bush leaving enough room for a 75cm round bush. The other two rose bushes are staying. Somewhere on the curve I have some snowdrops. I would like to put some more snowdrops where the little black box is. The roses are pretty much in the middle of the bed. I was thinking that I could plant some late summer/Autumn flowers, like the Aster at the back of the bed. That way they can grow behind the summer plants at the front and not spoil the view.

I started taking away the ground cover today. It was very easy to pull put of the soil. I had to stop because the garden waste bin was full. It will be emptied tomorrow. I want to get that area cleared so that I can get some bulbs in.

G.

Ps. Sorry. Just remembered something I saw the other day.



I have a place in mind for the back garden. I thought perhaps it would also look good in that gate opening. It should fill the gap nicely and it would fit in with a blue/purple colour scheme.

G.

 

Yes, the lorry Gary
As I said, aster Frikartii Monch is an excellent and easy plant and will grow as you want it to. If I have time tom I will post a picture of one of mine to give you an idea
That hydrangea needs to be planted where the soil doesnt dry out....it loves water as its name suggests. It will help a lot to add dried manure or lots of compost when you plant it