Be Bold With Your Bulbs
Don't let the counts scare you, especially with the little "minor" bulbs. A couple of hundred crocus can be planted pretty fast if you toss them into a trench. So can other small bulbs like scilla and snowdrops. Don't forget a few hundred chionodoxa while you're at it - they are so ephemeral you won't even notice any fewer than that. Larger bulbs like tulips and daffodils are slower going but they too warrant planting in quantity to avoid that disappointing dribdrabby spotty effect.
To be honest, a handful of the little bulbs or a planting of a single tulip or two makes no visual impact unless you see it from close up. Sad but true. They look like a little gob of color in that sea of spring mud. So plant the little vignettes close to your front walk or next to the garage where you will see them up close and enjoy them every day.
For something you'll be looking at from a distance through the window, you'll need LOTS of the little bulbs, at least hundreds or if you're feeling flush, thousands are preferable. Use dozens or hundreds of the larger bulbs, too. Think about it in square footage. A single bulb only takes up a tiny space so to fill in much of an area at all the numbers are very high.
So now you know the secret. Spring only comes once a year, so avoid disappointment and plant accordingly: Plant early, plant often and above all take the plunge and pour on the color! Plant in the big bold drifts these bulbs deserve!
Here's lots more design and practical help with planting spring bulbs. ENJOY!
Latest Articles