Friday, September 25, 2009

Planting bulbs in grass to naturalize

Planting bulbs in grass: Vary bulbs create color and a even natural effect if they are planted in grass. Where bulbs are planted, leave mowing the grass until the foliage has died back completely after flowering.

Slice through the grass with a spade or edging iron around the area to be planted. Then use the spade to slice beneath the turf and fold it back for planting.

Scatter the bulbs randomly for the most natural effect, having forked over the soil first to loosen it and added snore slow-release fertilizer. bust press small bulbs into the loosened surface. Plant larger bulbs with a trowel to a depth twice that of the bulb's size.

Allium 'Purple Sensation'

Height up to 3 ro/3 ft. spread 8 cm/3 in • Plant 5-10 cm/ 2-4 in deep • Full sun Fertile, well-drained soil

A relative of the onion, Allium 'Purple Sensation' has a globe-shaped head made up of 50 or more star-shaped, deep violet flowers on a tall stem in summer

Anemone blanda

Height and spread up to 15 cm/ 6 in • Plant 8-10 cm/3-4 in deep • Full sun - partial shade
• Light, sandy, well-drained soil

Solitary daisy-like flowers. in deep blue, pink or white depending on variety, appear in spring above the decorative and deeply cut green leaves. These ground-hugging plants quickly spread and multiply to form large clumps

Crocus versus.

Height 10-12 cm/4-5 in, spread 5 cm/2 in • Plant 8-10 cm/ 3-4 in deep • Full sun • Gritty: poor to moderately fertile, well- drained soil

This crocus species, of which there are numerous cultivars, looks most at home grown in grass, where it will flower from early to late spring. The flowers are about 3-6 cm/1.25-2.5 in long and come in white and shades of purple and lilac, sometimes decoratively streaked as in Crocus versus 'Pickwick'. There are numerous other varieties of crocus to choose from. including Crocus tommasinianus f. albus

Cyclamen repandum

Height 10-12 cm/4-5 in, spread 5 cm/2 in • Plant 8-10cm/ 3-4in deep • Full sun • Gritty, poor to moderately, fertile, well- drained soil

This cyclamen, with rich red flowers that appear in arid- to late spring, also has pretty, dark green leaves marbled with a pale grey-green. For autumn color there is Cyclamen hederifdium 'Album', which has pure white flowers

Fritillaria imperialis, Crown imperial

Height up to 1.5 m/5 ft, spread 25-30 cm/10-12 in • Plant 8-10 cm/3-4 in deep • Full sun
• Fertile, well-drained soil

This very decorative, tall, lily- like plant flowers in spring. Sterns and leaves grow rapidly. The bud opens to produce a cluster of around 5-7 downward-hanging, bell-shaped flowers that can be deep red, orange or yellow.

Fritillaria meleagris,

Snake's head fritillary Height up to 30 cm/12 in, spread 5-8 cm/2-3 in • Full sun to light shade • Fertile, damp well-drained soil

The small, delicate, bell- shaped flowers of this plant appear in spring in white or a pinkish purple marked with a subtle snake-skin pattern. These fritillaries grow well in grass.

Fritillaria persica

Height 1 m/3 ft, spread 10 cm/ 4 in • Plant 8-10 cm/ 3-4 in deep • Full sun and a hot site
• Fertile, well-drained soil

Up to 30 green-brown to deep purple, hell-shaped flowers make up the long flowering spike on each stem in early spring.

Gaianthus ('S. Arnott', Snowdrop)

Height 20 cm/8 Inn. spread 8 crn/3 in • Plant 3.5 cm/ 1.5 in deep • Full sun • Fertile, well-drained soil

The large, white. honey- scented, hanging flowers of this vigorous and tall snowdrop appear in very early spring.

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