Step 1 In Autumn
When temperatures consistently drop to about 10°C (this is when most hardy bulbs should be planted), prepare the soil in a sunny spot of the garden by digging down about 40 centimetres in an area.
All Season Flower Garden
Add character to your landscape with an all-season bulb garden. Unsupported, a trellis panel is flexible, and thinner ones are downright flimsy. Consequently, the first step in any trellis project is to strengthen it with a frame. The frame begins as a 2x4; a prefab channel that you nail to it holds the trellis in place. Vinyl channels are for vinyl trellis. They're U-shape and about 1/2 inch thick and 1 inch wide. Wood channels are beefier, and the groove is stepped in order to handle panels of different thicknesses. Wood trellis comes in two thicknesses-7/16 inch and 5/8 inch. Get the 5/8 inch- it's more durable. Vinyl panels are a standard thickness.
Skill Level: Beginner
Time:
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There are 6 steps to completing this project:
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Step 2 Shovel Some of the Soil Mix
Into the bottom of the hole, to a depth of about 15 centimetres. This forms the first planting layer, which is suitable for summer-blooming lilies. If you have the space, choose a variety of types: early-summer-blooming Asiatics, followed by trumpet lilies in mid-summer and Orientals later in the season; in smaller gardens, choose a single lily type. Place the bulbs on top of the soil mix, pointy side up, spacing them about 20 centimetres apart.
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Step 3 Cover the Lilies
With about eight centimetres of soil to form the next layer, which can be planted with spring-blooming daffodils and tall varieties of early-summer-flowering ornamental onions (also known as alliums). Interplant the two types about 10 centimetres apart.
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Step 4 Cover the Daffodil and Allium Bulbs
With another eight-centimetre layer of soil. Now you're ready to plant tulips. Select an assortment of early, mid- and late-spring varieties. If you have space for only one type, choose Triumphs for their beautifully shaped flowers and sturdy stems. Space them about 10 centimetres apart.
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Step 5 With Another Eight-centimetre Layer of Soil Mix
You're ready to plant the final tier of bulbs—crocuses, the earliest spring bulbs to bloom. Gently push the small bulbs into the soil, spacing them about four centimetres apart to create a drift of spring flowers. Cover with the remaining soil, mounding it high above ground level. Water well.
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Step 6 Complete
Your all-season bulb garden the following summer (in late August or early September) when fall blooms become available. Tuck in autumn crocus (Crocus speciosus and C. sativus) as well as naked ladies (Colchicum) about 12 centimetres deep; these will bloom just weeks later.
