Planting Bulbs in Drifts for a Spring Garden

Fall is the time to plant flowering bulbs for springtime blooms. Instead of planting a few tulips or daffodils here and there, think about planting in drifts. Drifts create a natural look; the flowers will seem to have been put there by nature. A little planning now will give you fantastic results in the spring.

Drifts

A drift is a mass planting of a single type of plant. Instead of planting the bulbs in a bed with an equal distance between them, a drift is planted by digging the entire bed, scattering the bulbs around to look as if they grew there naturally. The bulbs are then covered up and allowed to grow. Each year, the bulbs will multiply and return with more blooms than the following year. Around year 5, the plants will require dividing. Several drifts of bulbs with different bloom times can be planted in the same bed for continuous blooms throughout the spring.

Planning

Before deciding on where to plant, consider the amount of sun and shade available in your garden. Most spring bulbs can be planted in partial shade.

In some areas of the country, snow drifts build up against buildings and garden walls. In these areas, the bulbs will bloom later than normal.

Take into account the USDA hardiness zone for your area. In some areas where spring is short or non-existent, planting spring bulbs in large groups may be too labor intensive as the bulbs should be dug up and replanted every year.

To create a natural look for your drift garden, you will need to plant at least 25 bulbs in the planting area. To keep the natural feel, keep the planting beds in organic shapes. Avoid squares, rectangles, ovals and circles. Instead, use a garden hose or chalk to mark beds with curved or wavy edges. Long narrow beds with curvy edges look more natural than geometric shapes or very wide beds. Once you have decided on where you want the bed--decide on the plants.

Plants

Many spring bulbs look great when planted in drifts. Daffodils are commonly used for drift planting. You can extend the bloom time by planting early, middle and late flowering varieties. Precede the daffodils with a massive planting of crocus and snowdrops for the earliest spring flowers. Follow up planting of daffodils with late flowering bulbs like Spanish Bluebells or Anemones.

Other good choices for mass plantings are Alliums, Muscari (grape hyacinths) or fragrant Hyacinths. Fragrant Hyacinths are wonderful when mass planted near a window or doorway where their perfume can be enjoyed indoors as well as outdoors.

Prepare the Bed

In the Fall, prepare the planting bed prior to adding the bulbs. Add bone meal and blood meal to the soil before adding the bulbs. Follow the application amounts on the package.

Plant the bulbs. If you are planting more than one type, start with the bulbs that have the deepest planting requirements and end with the bulbs that have the shallowest requirements. Cover each type of bulb with a layer of soil before adding additional layers.

Planting bulbs in drifts for a spring garden will give you years of carefree flowers every spring. Each year, just add more bone meal and blood meal to the drifts. Leave the foliage to completely die back before removing so that the plant has energy stored for the following year's blooms. Once planted, your spring garden will be alive with color.

Other Articles You May Enjoy:

Getting the Garden Ready for Fall and Winter

Planting a Fall Vegetable Garden

Preserving Your Garden Harvest

Using Shrubs and Perennials in Your Garden Design