Naomi Slade creates a lasting display
With some pot luck and my replacement system, I can provide a display with continuous interest
It’s no great secret: I like bulbs any way I can get them. And I’ve found that, in my busy small garden, an alpine trough is an excellent, semi-permanent arrangement, which allows me to display a collection of small bulbs in a curated and beautiful way.
To provide year-round structure, I’ve planted an evergreen (or ‘ever-brown’) carex at the back and used distinct clumps of snowdrops, such as galanthus ‘Merlin’, ‘Llo ‘n’ Green’, ‘Hippolyta’ and G. nivalis pleniflorus ‘Blewbury Tart’, which have staggered flowering times. These are fed with tomato food when in growth to keep them in good shape. Earlier interest is provided by a Cyclamen hederifolium sunk in a clay pot, which gives me pink autumn flowers and long-lasting foliage over winter. There’s also a cluster of Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’, which flowers later than the snowdrops and provides a lovely splash of colour.
But I have another trick up my sleeve to maximise the flower power of this li le arrangement. Since the cyclamen and one of the clumps of snowdrops is in pots, I can lift them out when they’ve finished doing their thing and replace them with something else prepared earlier, in true Blue Peter style!
So, back in the autumn I planted up some new and interesting small bulbs that I’m looking forward to seeing perform. These included Bulbocodium vernum, a pink, crocus-like flower related to colchicums, and tiny species narcissus ‘Golden Bells’ and ‘Spoirot’, which should flower in March or April.
In summer, when the bulbs are dormant, the trough will get some care and a ention. The grass at the back is doing well and while the ensemble would probably be fine for another year, the container is filling up with fibrous roots. I want my bulbs to have the best in life so I’ll either divide it or replace it.
The pot replacement system is a winner for continuous interest so I’ll also be looking for summer and autumn subjects that will thrive in that spot. I think I’ll also plant the li le bulbocodium into the bed proper as it doesn’t seem to like its pot much. It’s been munched by slugs, but gardening is about experimentation and you live and learn. Much joy comes from rearranging plants and watching them grow, so if you want me I’ll be in the garden!