Sunday, September 21, 2014

Gardens: layering bulbs.

Gardens: layering bulbs | Life and style | The Guardian:
In pots The smallest spring bulbs are better appreciated in pots: they get lost in the wider garden. Growing in pots also avoids bulbs getting waterlogged and rotting. Rod's suggestions for a permanently planted pot or tub would be small snowdrops such as 'Tiny Tim', just 5cm tall. These tie in well with anemonellas; small anemone-like flowers in soft pinks, in either single or many-petalled double forms – Rod grows an unusual green-and-white flowered variety, A. thalictroides 'Green Hurricane'. Add some small-species crocuses (not the large-flowered Dutch sort), followed by oxalis for its flowers and clover-like leaves from May onwards. Avoid plants that self-seed – a nuisance in a limited space – so look for sterile cultivars instead.

Maintenance Once plants are in place, this is the ultimate in no-dig gardening – it's impossible to fork around bulbs to incorporate soil-improving organic matter without spearing precious specimens. Instead the trick is to top dress. "We do this in late January by mulching with spent mushroom compost," Rod says. Spent mushroom compost is slightly alkaline, which matches the natural ph of their soil, adds humus and isn't contaminated with weed seeds. To top dress pots, tease out the top few centimetres of potting compost and replace with fresh.
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