Layer up! How to plant a bulb lasagne for spring

‘Tis the season for beautiful bulbs! Well, almost – if you can’t wait to feast your eyes on a gorgeous display of blooms come spring, now’s the time to start planning. Why not try a bulb lasagne? A little extra effort now means a staggered display of flowers that bloom for longer, cheering post-winter gardens (and moods!). It’s also perfect for adding a splash of colour to sunny balconies and small spaces. Here’s how to plant a bulb lasagne.

Wait, what’s a bulb lasagne?

A feast for your eyes, that’s what! A bulb lasagne refers to filling a pot with layers of spring bulbs, planted at different depths. This technique produces an ongoing floral display, due to the staggered flowering times of the different bulbs you choose for your ‘lasagne’. 

Nice! What do I need to get started?

• A deep, wide container (at least 30x30cm) – the more bulbs you can fit in, the merrier! The pot will be heavy once it’s full, so position it where you want it displayed come spring.

Tip: most bulbs love the sun, so don’t hide the pot under a tree at the bottom of the garden.

• Soil: good quality, free-draining potting mix is best. Bulbs do not like wet feet and are prone to rot if drainage isn’t up to scratch.

• Bulbs, of course! Choose a mix of your spring favourites and check packaging for advice on sun requirements (try to plant like with like), and how long it usually takes to flower – this will help you create a bulb lasagne that keeps on blooming. Mix it up: choose bulbs with early, mid and late flowering times, or plant three types of a single species like tulips or daffodils. Or pick bulbs based on their colours for a striking display!

Our packet bulbs offer varied, beautiful spring bulbs to choose from. Try starting with cheerful, good-value favourites like daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips instead of more exotic bulb types until you get the hang of creating a bulb lasagne.

Tick, tick, and tick – now, how do I plant a bulb lasagne?

Time to plant! But first, an important reminder: bulbs should always be planted with the pointy end up. If there’s no clear point, identify the root side – this should always point down.

1. Fill the pot with potting mix to almost halfway.

2. Plant your lowest layer first with larger, later-flowering bulbs – late-season tulips are a good deep-layer choice. Cover with a layer of potting soil.

3. For your middle layer, choose spring bulbs that will flower second, like hyacinths. Stagger them so that they’re not right above any bottom-layer bulbs.

4. Pots can warm up quickly, so keep the bulbs away from the sides so that they don’t scorch. They should preferably not touch each other either (although it’s okay to nestle a bit closer if planted in a pot!)

5. Add a layer of potting soil and finish your bulb lasagne with the early-flowering spring bulbs, like miniature daffodils, again staggering to make sure that all bulb shoots can reach the surface easily.

6. Finally, cover with potting mix, lightly mulch, and water. Keep the soil slightly moist until the first shoots emerge, then water as usual.

7. Once the first blooms fade, trim them to ground level so the next layer can take centre stage.

Try these combos for a striking bulb lasagne:

• Lower layer: tulips. Mid layer: narcissi. Top layer: crocuses.

• Lower layer: hyacinths. Mid layer: muscari. Top layer: dwarf iris.

• Lower layer: alliums. Mid layer: anemones. Top layer: snowdrops.

• Lower layer: tulip. Mid layer: daffodil. Top layer: jonquil.

• Lower layer: tulips. Mid layer: hyacinth. Top layer: muscari, Spring Star or miniature daffodil.

Tip: for a spring-flowering display, plant your bulbs in autumn. For summer-flowering bulbs, plant your bulb lasagne in the spring.

Is that all I need to do?

Not quite – you’ll have to support the growth of your bulb lasagne, since there are so many plants in one pot, all fighting for the same resources! Liquid feed your bulb lasagne every couple of weeks through the growing season to help it thrive.

Once all the plants have died down, take the bulbs out of the pot and store them in a cool, dry spot, until planting next year around April.

Voila! Your bulb lasagne is ready to go!

Don’t stop there, keep planting!

Need more advice on how to plant spring flowering bulbs in your garden? Here are our top bulb planting tips.