Nothing says ‘spring’ quite like bulbs in bloom, so Melissa’s showing you how to create some amazing pots of colour for your front doorstep. For inspiration, she’s travelling to a nursery in the Dandenong Ranges that specialises in bulbs where, right now, there are fields of daffodils and other spring bulbs as far as the eye can see. Melissa’s meeting the owner, Tim, to find out his expert tips and showing you how to create the same look on a much smaller scale at your place.
WATCH: Melissa shows you how to create 3 different flower pots
A crowd of golden daffodils is yours for the taking and turning into your own little rural idyll. And you don’t need a tractor!
Flower pot tips and tricks
Get the right pot
- Use a pot at least 20cm high to give bulbs room to grow, and about 30cm wide so you can cram in as many plants as you can.
- Don’t use heat-absorbing plastic or metal pots because they absorb heat and spring flowering bulbs need a cool winter to develop. Choose terracotta pots that allow excess moisture to escape or glazed clay pots in light colours.
- Don’t use self-watering pots as they can create too much moisture, causing bulbs to rot. Ensure your pots have a drainage hole.
Growing tips
- Keep soil moist during growing season then let soil dry out when flowering is finished.
- Don’t cut bulb foliage when flowers finish so nutrients can return to the bulbs and give them the energy rise again next year.
Summer and autumn bulbs
Plant summer flowering bulbs in spring, or when frosts have finished, plant autumn flowering bulbs in early summer.
Summer bulbs
- Allium
- Oriental and trumpet lilies
- Tuberous begonia
- Gladiolus
- Crocasmia
- Bearded iris
Autumn bulbs
- Autumn snowflake
- White storm lily
- Saffron crocus
- Naked lady
- Nerine
- Belladonna lily
How to make three different flower pots
1. Hyacinth heaven
Plant gladioli and lilium bulbs for summer, then tall double and single daffodils. Put in hyacinths next so their volume isn’t cramped. Fill with crocuses, cyclamen, irises and mini ‘Tete-a-tete’ daffodils.
2. Daffodil Dazzler
Make the most of winter roses (Helleborus sp) before they fade, then make them compete with pretty double ‘Replete’ daffodils. Fill out edges with polyanthus, purple crocuses and white cyclamen.
3. Tulip triumph
Give your pot height with tall variegated lomandra, then fill edges with Chinese fringe flower, mirror plant, a small variegated carex, Martin’s spruge, double-flowering kalanchoe. Top with red tulips.
For more information, visit Drewitts Bulbs.
For more gorgeous project ideas, pick up a copy of the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in selected newsagents and supermarkets or buy online today!
You might also like:
How to make gutter flower pots
How to make a beautiful bouquet of roses
Melissa visits Rankins Roses in Gippsland
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