Lasagna? Mmmm Lasagna, layers of pasta, spicy tomato sauce, creamy béchamel, rich ground beef, a golden-brown crust of grilled cheese…mouthwatering smells coming from the oven…maybe with some green leafy salad and some - Wait, what’s happening? Wasn’t this a flower bulb blog?
A stacked feast
Don’t worry, you’re still in the right place. But today, instead of talking about making a lasagna that’s a feast for your taste buds, we’re going to talk about a lasagna that’s a feast for your eyes: Planting your bulbs lasagna-style. Just like with the beloved Italian dish, lasagna planting is all about layering the right ingredients to get the optimum effect and containers that will create a long lasting wow throughout the spring season.
Continuous containers
A great way to showcase your bulbs is to plant them in containers, which you can place on your porch, next to your door, on your balcony, on your windowsills or really any place that you feel could use some flowery joy. To make sure you’ll have blooming flowers all through the season, it’s best to plant a whole series of bulbs, from the very earliest Snowdrops all the way through to the grand season finale of Alliums. But when you follow planting instructions correctly there will be quite a lot of space between all these bulbs, leading to big gaps between blooming flowers, which can make your garden look a bit sad and sparse.
more gaps
This is where the lasagna planting technique comes in. By cleverly layering a pot or dish with different varieties of bulbs, you can create a container that is constantly blooming, from late February all the way to mid-June, check your bulbs for flowering details. The later the variety blooms, the lower down you plant them. Just make sure you use a really well-draining container, since you don’t want the flower bulbs at the bottom to rot before they have had a chance to bloom.
Layering recipe
Your pot for lasagna planting should have big drainage holes. If you want to you can improve drainage by placing some gravel at the bottom, but most quality potting mixes will do the drainage job well enough on their own. The first layer you put in the pot is simply soil, on top of which you start with large, late flowering bulbs. Late-blooming tulips or Daffodils are great candidates for this level, as are Alliums.
You want to place the bulbs close together, but make sure they don’t touch each other or the pot. The next layer of soil is used to top off your late bulbs. Make sure to gently firm down the soil around the bulbs. Time for your next layer: Mid-spring Daffodils and Tulips would be great here, as well as Hyacinths. One more layer of soil and you’re ready for your last layer of bulbs. If you want your container to be super varied, you could choose Muscari or Crocuses here. Cover with the last soil layer, water well, and wait for a stunning flower bulb season!
Exciting options
If you feel more daring, or want a true colour-explosion, you can use the lasagna planting method for simultaneous bloomers, combining several varieties of Tulips or Daffodils that bloom at the same time. Another option is to plant two layers only, for example Tulips and Grape Hyacinths. The more you get used to the lasagna planting method, the more confident and creative you’ll become, and the closer the combinations will match your personal style and preference. #yourgardenismygarden
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