aspenhill's blog: Off Season Musings - Garden Areas (Side Yard Spring Bulb Bed)

Posted on Dec 15, 2014 11:01 AM

Garden Description:
The Side Yard Spring Bulb Bed was a new garden area addition this fall, inspired by something similar that I saw on Pinterest. I really, really love Pinterest. It is such a visual tool, and I get so many gardening design ideas from it. The pin was of a cherry tree with masses of tulips surrounding it. The colors were totally not my colors and normally the photo wouldn't have caught my eye, but the cherry tree in bloom had me pause for a second look. The idea of enhancing my side yard single focal point weeping cherry tree took hold, and a group buy on fall bulbs at great prices was the clincher. The new area is about 33' long and 7' wide. The mature 15+ year old weeping cherry is at one end, a very immature red bud 'Avondale' is at the other end, and 300 tulip bulbs are around and in between them.

Design Goals:
My idea was to use the concept from the Pinterest pin, but plant tulips in pink, lilac, and purple shades instead of the multi-color mix of bolder shades that were in the pin. The weeping cherry tree blooms in very early spring. The blooms are short lived, but it sure is pretty while it lasts. This bed is meant to be a wow factor with everything blooming together in a big sweep of color.

The inspiration pin

A more recently found inspiration pin in my preferred color palette

Reflection:
I will need to wait until spring to see if the blooming of the red bud and tulips coincides with the weeping cherry or not. I did pick a mix of early, mid, and late blooming tulips - I'm sure getting the bloom impact that I'm looking for will be a lot of trial and error. Other concerns are the short lived nature of tulips and how the deer love them. I can keep them sprayed with repellant to deal with the deer problem, but I don't want to have to plant large volumes of bulbs every year. I've heard that the Darwin tulips are more "perennial" than others, so I'm trying some of those to begin with. I'm not sure what to do with this bed the rest of the year. At this point, there will be absolutely no multi season interest. Definitely something to think about.

Plans for Next Year:
Even with 300 tulips, I don't think it will come close to the fullness of the inspiration pins. So next year, PLANT MORE BULBS!!! I saw these combination inspirations on Pinterest. I can't say enough about how many ideas I get there. I would like to add hyacinths and whatever filler plant this is around the base of the tulips - is it forget me knots, soapwort, or what??? Also, the bed that I made this fall is an oblong shape - I need to make it bigger and more of the sweeping S shape shown in the inspiration pins.

Click here for link to the Side Yard Spring Bulb Bed Plant List

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