bring out the bulbs
Why wait for summer to fill your containers? Beautiful blooms like the ‘Pink Pride’ daffodil, ‘Big Chief’ tulip and grape hyacinths here add a blast of spring color, and they’re so easy to grow. Fall’s the time to get started.
Fill a 1-gal. plastic nursery pot with soilless potting mix and bulbs. Planting bulbs in layers gives you a full look and lets you combine different kinds of bulbs. Usually bulbs need to be planted three times as deep as their height, but don’t worry about that here. Just place the largest bulbs, such as daffodils, in the bottom. Next, add medium-sized bulbs, like tulips, then plant the smallest bulbs, here, grape hyacinths, on top.
Set the pot in a dry-leaf-lined trench, water it well, cover it with a foot of leaves and mark the location. If you have squirrels, put wire mesh over this area to protect the bulbs.
As the tree buds start swelling in early spring, remove the top layer of leaves so you can keep an eye on the bulbs. When the first sprouts appear, move the nursery pot into your decorative container. Put a layer of soil in the container and set the nursery pot in so it’s level with the top rim. Then you can fill the rest of the container with soil. Fill in bare spots with pansies or other cool-weather flowers. You’ll get rave reviews on your beautiful spring display, and everyone will wonder how you got your container flowers to bloom so effortlessly.
