FLOWERpower
Planting in Masses:
The Secret of Impressive Flower Gardens If you are looking for fun, fragrance, and color in your garden as early as possible in spring, plant flower bulbs in the fall! Go for a mass effect and plant them everywhere to create a flower-filled bulb garden that you can enjoy to the fullest. While this article addresses springflowering bulbs in particular, the same principles of mass planting apply to all kinds of flower types. Massed flowers can reduce maintenance by grouping like plants together and can also help 20
WASHINGTON GARDENER
AUGUST 2021
in weed suppression. Large swaths of blooms flowering at the same time also create drama in the garden. Finally, massed flowers attract pollinators and make it easier for them to gather nectar.
Working Ahead
Spring may still be a long way off, but if you want color in your garden in early spring, you should plant flower bulbs in the fall. Buy them as soon as you see
them in your local garden centers or order them online as soon as possible; Last fall, flower bulbs were sold out in most places by early September. This year, suppliers expect the same level of demand by garden consumers. Plant lots of bulbs if you want to create a true explosion of color. The perfect bulb planting time in our region is between mid-October and December. When the temperature drops below 50 degrees, that is the time to start.
