Get More Blooms with a Layered Container

Get More Blooms with a Layered Container

Tulips, crocuses and other bulbs add whimsy and color to any back yard paradise or garden. But what about your deck, patio, or porch? Using a medium-sized container, gravel, dirt, and bulbs, you can bring even more flowering brilliance to your life. Here’s how to create your own, bulb-filled, staggered-bloom container.

Pick the Perfect Container

Try to find something that isn’t too large to be picked up and carried. To protect your bulbs in the middle of winter, you’ll want to move your container into a shed or unheated garage. We chose a standard, round pot available at Coastal.

Plant Bulbs in the Fall

You’ll want to plant your bulbs in October (early November at the latest). We chose crocuses, daffodils, and tulips. The key to a successful bulb container is to find bulbs with different bloom times.

In our container, the crocuses will pop up first in late winter, followed by the daffodils. The tulips will make an appearance sometime in March or April.

Layering is the Key

For best results, you’ll want to layer your bulbs and dirt like a lasagne.

1. Place a layer of gravel or rocks at the bottom of the container for drainage.
2. Add a layer of potting soil. Then place a layer of deep-planted bulbs. We put our tulips at the bottom. Be sure you have the pointed end facing up.
3. Add a layer of soil to cover the first bulbs, then add your next set of bulbs. We did daffodils.
4. Now, add more soil and the last layer of bulbs. We chose crocuses as our top layer. Finally, add soil until it coverers everything up. Be sure to leave at least an inch of space between the top of the soil and the opening of the container.

Coastal tip: to avoid crowding, don’t do more than three layers of bulbs.

Coastal is Your Year-round Gardening Headquarters

Regardless of the time of year, your Northwest owned and operated Coastal carries bags of soil, seeds, planters, tools, and just about anything else you need to care for your yard and garden. Stop by today and get what you need, including helpful advice on bulb bloom times for your region.