Unique

Blending flower bulbs isn’t difficult. Just choose the flower bulbs that will produce flowers in the colours, shapes, heights and fragrances that you prefer. Will it be large brightly coloured crown imperials combined with tulips in a softer hue? Or will it be five different kinds of flower bulbs that produce flowers in the same colour? However you do it, anything goes. Next spring, your customised flower bulb blend will brighten your days with its personal touch.

Choosing from the many kinds of flower bulbs

Creating your own flower bulb blend is really fun! But where to start in choosing them? You can choose from ones used as annuals, used as perennials, and ones that produce more bulbs every year. The annuals are known for their vivid colours. Tulips, daffodils and crocuses are kinds that will provide your garden with an explosion of colour. But maybe you’d prefer a combination of flower bulbs that will give your a repeat performance the following year. If so, choose perennial flower bulbs such as Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa) and Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides). You can even blend flower bulbs like Siberian squill (Scilla) and certain varieties of daffodil (Narcissus) that will then naturalise. This means they will increase in number year after year.

A nice little trick

Here’s a handy little trick for blending flower bulbs. For the most natural result, put all of your flower bulbs in a large bucket and then get your hands in there and mix them all up. Now scatter the mixture nonchalantly over the place in the garden where you are going to plant them. Once all the flower bulbs are scattered, plant them exactly where they landed. This can be done from September until the end of December as long as it’s before the first freeze.

Tips & tricks

• If you want to extend the enjoyment of your uniquer flower bulb blend, choose flower bulbs with successive flowering periods. The first will flower in January and the last in May.
• To guarantee success, plant the flower bulbs three times as deep as they are tall.
• For a beautiful profusion of flowers in your border, plant around 50 flower bulbs per square metre.
• If you want to avoid bare spots in your garden after the flower bulbs bloom, plant some low-growing perennials such as Lady’s Mantle or Periwinkle among them.
• Flower bulb blends will also thrive in pots. Just make sure that the pot is large enough and that it has a hole at the bottom to let excess water escape.