Bulbs in containers.

Hi All,

I have 2 troughs about 2 foot long x 1 foot wide and 1 foot deep. I wanted to plant some bulbs in there so i have interest for as long as possible through out the year. The idea is to plant mini daffs and tulips for spring and maybe lillies for the summer. Has anyone got any ideas what else would be good in there to prolong the flowering season?

Rusty

 

I think you may not get as much as you hope in these,tulips ,daffs ok ,any small bulb,corm,tuber, I don`t think the lilies will be successful ,you may be better to plant annual bedding plants round the tulips ,daffs then as the leaves die back the annuals come on ,you could mix them around with spring/autumn flowering,to keep the display going as long as possible.

 

Are they well drained?
How much sun will they get?
What are the troughs made of?

 

I heard a while ago about a clever trick of planting in layers. I can't remember the original source, but a google turned up this:

http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_4948961_planting-flower-bulbs-layers.html

 

Depending on the answers, as Clueless says layering is the answer.

Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) is a reliable early bloomer. Dwarf tulips could follow.
There is a hardy Calochortus that my OH grows that multiplies readily in a shallower trough than yours. Grows about 15/20cm tall in late spring. Here's a photo from last spring...........




Then for early summer how about Allium cristophii (doesn't grow too tall).............



Tulbaghia violacea is another low growing hardy summer bulb if the troughs are sheltered.....................




Lilies would be good, but what about Galtonia candicans? Two or three would look great - this is mine which now stands at two metres.................





It all depends how much effort you want to put in. Eucomis are wonderful and when the flowers are done the seed pods and flower stalk remain attractive on plants such as E.comosa "Sparkling Burgundy" and E.bicolor. But they would probably not be hardy in this situation and would need lifting.

For autumn you could add Colchicum autumnale.

Basically, the sky is the limit. But my first questions are important in your decision..........

 

They are made of wood and are fairly well drained and will get sun for most of the day. I like the sound of layering i will do some googling a bit later.

Rusty

 

Another good spring bulb to look out for would be Fritillaria meleagris (Snakes head Fritillary).

 

An alternative would be to make some "liners" for your troughs (using fibreglass perhaps), plant them up "round the back" somewhere, and then when they are at their best "drop" them into the troughs. That way you won't have any downtime between seasons waiting for plants to come into bloom.