BULBS IN THE LAWN
with a layer of bulb compost and repeat with a mid-season bulb variety, such as the ‘Angelique’ cultivar of tulip.
Again, cover with compost and repeat for an early-flowering variety, like Crocus chrysanthus ‘Spring Beauty’.
Finally, add a layer of winterflowering pansies and you’ll have a succession of flowers from now all the way through to August 2019. For extra oomph you could even mix the bulbs in each layer – as long as their flowering times are similar you won’t have gaps, and different colourcombinations can be remarkably effective.
ANOTHER option if you’re looking to spruce up your lawn – or simply gain extra flower space in your garden – is to naturalise bulbs within the lawn.
First, choose bulbs that finish flowering before March, when the grass will start growing again, so that you won’t struggle to mow while they’re in flower.
Next, give the lawn a trim. This will keep it neat and tidy so flowers can be seen clearly next year.
For a natural look, take handfuls of bulbs and scatter them haphazardly on the lawn.
Plant them wherever they land, ensuring that they are not too close together as this will reduce flowering.
Plant bulbs at three times their own depth to stop them from drying out as the weather warms up.
This is where bulb planting tools really come into their own.
I particularly like long-handled bulb planters, which can be pushed into the ground with your foot, just like a garden spade, cutting a circular space just right for a single bulb and doing away with the difficulty of digging into hardened ground with a trowel.
Place bulbs in the holes and twist them into the ground as if screwing in a lightbulb.
This helps to ensure there is no space for water to collect underneath where it could rot the bulb.
Loosen soil from the plug of lawn you just removed and use it to cover the bulb, then simply replace the grass on top, level with the surrounding lawn. In a few months, you’ll be greeted by delightful flowers pushing their way up through the grass.
MY bromeliad is producing baby plants. What do I do with them?
A Q
Derrick
flower only once, then produce offsets – pups – before dying. Wait for pups to reach half the mother’s height then cut them away using a sharp sterilised knife or saw. Pot with orchid compost and support with a cane. Roots will take time to develop, so don’t panic. Place in indirect light. Keep compost lightly moist as the pups get established.
HOW do I keep worms in a wormery warm in winter?
Dominic, via email Bromeliads die after flowering – but produce babies for next year
A
WORMERIES are a great way to create compost while reducing the amount of waste you send to landfill.
Do three things: 1. Position the wormery in a sheltered spot – by a wall or shed – to reduce breezes. 2. Put a hunk of bread or pasta in to break down and give off heat. 3. Wrap your wormery with bubble wrap for warmth.
They’ll survive, no problem.