Early-flowering bulbs; what’s not to like?
It’s always a delight to see the first flowers of the new year, breaking through the grey gloom of a Mancunian winter. Snowdrops are well known for their resilience against whatever the weather throws at them, and we used to have beautiful spring irises in our previous garden.
In addition to lifting the spirits, early flowering plants also provide a vital food source for those pollinating insects emerging first from hibernation, such as bumble bees.
Selecting an appropriate species
After ticking off my RHS homework to learn ‘five bulbs suitable for naturalising’, I thought I could give the bumble bees a bit of a helping hand in my own garden, by planting crocus bulbs in the lawn. Short grass is best for crocuses. Our lawn is ideal, as it has a number of bald and mossy patches!
I selected Crocus tommasinianus; this early-flowering species is well suited to naturalising, and its flower-heads are particularly attractive to bees due to their more open form. Other crocus cultivars tend to be a bit too big, bright and bulbous to look natural in the lawn.
Preparation
At this point, I need to stress that planting five hundred crocus bulbs in one’s lawn is not a light undertaking. I’ve been at it most of today and I’ve still got a third to go, but should you wish to follow suit, this is how I did it.
After clearing the lawn of leaves, I positioned three bean poles to mark the approximate positions of three ‘drifts’ of crocuses. I divided the bulbs into three roughly equal-sized piles (no – I didn’t count them…). I also mixed up some multi-purpose compost with a few handfuls of horticultural sharp sand. Other crucial items of equipment were a dibber and an old spoon.
Ready, steady, plant!
In general, bulbs like to be planted at two to three times their own depth. The recommended depth for these bulbs was 8cm, with a suggested planting density of 150 bulbs per metre square. Rather than planting in uniform-looking squares, I threw a third of the bulbs in the vicinity of each bean pole, and planted each bulb where it landed, in order to achieve a more natural effect.
For each bulb, I sunk the dibber to the 9cm mark. Next, I put half a spoonful of the compost mix into the hole, and dropped in a bulb (hopefully the right way up). My reason for adding some compost first is to ensure that the base of the bulb actually engages with something at the bottom of the hole, given the narrow taper at the end of the dibber.
Finishing off
After gently prodding the bulb down into the hole with my finger, I then used the spoon to top up the hole with the compost mix, pressing it firm to the level of the lawn. Repeat a further four-hundred and ninety-nine times…
In order to protect the bulbs from being dug up by squirrels, I also have chicken wire on hand to peg over the planting areas. I shall keep a close eye on things before deciding whether to use or not.
Aftercare
Just a final note; in order to please the bees for many years to come, remember not to mow the lawn for at least six weeks after the bulbs have flowered, to enable the foliage to continue photosynthesising and replenishing the bulbs beneath for the following spring.