If you’ve never heard of a bulb lasagne you’re probably raising your eyebrows right now. It is a real gardening ‘thing’ though!
This post explains what a bulb lasagne is, and why it’s a great gardening project to have a go at. There’s also a step-by-step planting guide, plus advice on the best bulbs to plant, and how to take care of your bulb lasagne so it provides you with months of beautiful flowers.
What is a bulb lasagne?
A bulb lasagne is a clever way of planting bulbs in pots in layers to create a nice full display of flowers that lasts for months. You layer up your bulbs in the same way you would add layers of pasta to an actual lasagne, hence the name. You might see this method also described as layered bulb planting, or lasagne bulb planting.
Layering bulbs in pots is really easy to do, and will give you a lovely display throughout the winter months and into late spring for very little effort. It’s also a brilliant way to make the most of space in a small garden, patio, or balcony container. What’s not to like?
Can you layer bulbs?
If you’re wondering how to plant bulbs in pots, layering different varieties in the same container is a great option. Flower bulbs will be perfectly happy to be layered up in a flower pot. The important thing to get right is the order in which you plant them. The ones that flower first should be planted on the top layer, with the ones that flower next on the second layer, and so on.
When is the best time to plant spring bulbs?
It’s important to plant bulbs at the right time of year, and this varies according to the variety you choose; check the packaging if you’re not sure. Spring flowering bulbs should be planted in autumn.
If you want to plant a bulb lasagne with summer flowering bulbs such as gladioli and dahlias, you need to plant it in early spring.
Can I plant on top of bulbs?
Absolutely. Winter bedding plants are a great way to give your spring display a head start before the bulbs flower.
How to plant a bulb lasagne
Autumn is the perfect time to plant bulbs for spring flowers, so if you’d like to have a go at planting a bulb lasagne, here’s how to do it.
What you need to plant a bulb lasagne
Here’s a list of the things you need to plant your bulb lasagne.
- *Spring bulbs
- *Multi-purpose compost or potting soil (our guide to the best compost for pots gives more advice and product options)
- *Trowel
- *Gardening gloves
- Container with at least one drainage hole
- Winter bedding plants
- You might also like to use a *bulb starter to help your bulbs grow and increase their ability to absorb water and nutrients.
You’ll need a variety of spring bulbs with different flowering times for your container. The aim is to get a continuous succession of flowers for as long as possible, so check the flowering month on the bulb packet before you buy.
1. Prepare your container
When it comes to bulb lasagne planting, you’re going for big impact and wow factor. A great way to achieve this is to pack the container full of bulbs; bear this in mind when choosing the size of your plant pot.
It’s a good idea to put some ‘crocks’ (broken pieces of terracotta) or a layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot. This will help to provide good drainage and prevent excess water in the container.
Once you’ve done this, add your first layer of compost to the container, until it’s about one-third full.
2. Plant your layers of bulbs
Wondering “What order do I layer my bulbs?” Here’s a quick guide.
For the first layer of bulbs in the container, you want to plant the latest flowering bulbs. Once they’re in, cover them over with a layer of soil.
The bulbs that flower before the bottom layer go in next. Again, cover this second layer of bulbs with a layer of compost.
The final layer should be the bulbs that flower first.
It’s important you plant your bulbs in the right order, and it’s surprisingly easy to get mixed up! I’ve found that laying out each variety in a line before I start really helps.
3. Add plants to the top of your bulb lasagne
Your bulbs won’t flower until late winter, so you need to add plants to the top of the container to create a lovely display in the meantime. To do this, cover your top layer of bulbs with compost, then add your plants on top and fill in any gaps with more compost. You can then top dress with decorative gravel if you like.
Keep your container moist, but don’t be tempted to over-water. Bulbs hate sitting in cold, soggy soil.
Bulb lasagne ideas: what to plant with container bulbs
Now your bulb lasagne is planted, you might be thinking ‘What can I plant on top of bulbs in pots?’. There are lots of lovely options here that will make your container look fantastic until the bulbs start to put on a show.
Winter flowering pansies, violas, cyclamen and heather are all great options for the top of your bulb lasagne. I think it’s also worth adding in some foliage plants such as ivy, heuchera or cineraria to really boost the impact. Evergreen plants work well too at this time of year.
Great bulbs for planting in a bulb lasagne
Need some help with the best bulbs for bulb lasagne loveliness?Here are some ideas for *spring bulbs which you could use on each layer of your lasagne:
- Bottom layer: tulips, hyacinths
- Next layer: narcissus, daffodils, anemone, muscari (grape hyacinths)
- Top layer: snowdrop, crocus, miniature iris reticulata
You can buy bulb collections or a bulb lasagne kit that’s designed for layering bulbs, or make up your own bulb lasagne combinations to suit the size of your containers.
Here’s a short time-lapse video of beautiful crocuses to inspire you to get planting!
What to do with bulbs in containers after flowering
Your bulb lasagne should flower for you year after year, but the bulbs will benefit from a feed after a couple of seasons.
Can I leave bulbs in pots for next year?
If you’d rather not leave your bulbs in their container, you can dig them up once the foliage has died back and dry them out, then store them. I have to admit I’ve never bothered doing this though, I like the low-maintenance element of leaving well alone!
I do replace the top layer of compost when I change the bedding plants, to give the whole container some fresh nutrients for next spring.
And that’s it – a quick gardening project that will give you lots of beautiful blooms to enjoy in the depths of winter 🙂
More garden bulb planting resources
If you’re also planting bulbs in the garden, you might like to check out my post on planting bulbs, which has a step-by-step guide to help you get it right.
And if you’re planting spring bulbs in large quantities, how about forcing a few of them to flower early for indoor blooms this winter? This is another easy project – and they make great gifts too. My post on forcing bulbs shows you how to do it.
Do you think you’ll have a go at bulb layering by planting a bulb lasagne with different types of bulbs? I’d love to hear what you choose to plant, I’ve still got some containers to fill so inspire me!
More nature inspiration for kids
Planting a bulb lasagne is just one of the fun nature projects in my book, *A Year of Nature Craft and Play. There’s an activity for every week of the year and it includes fun gardening projects, crafts, games, art and science experiments – perfect for inspiring kids to embrace nature play and explore the amazing natural world.
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This is such a great idea – I saw Monty Don do it on Gardeners’ World a few weeks ago and thought I must do that, but haven’t yet – you’ve inspired me! #HowToSunday
Ooh good! I did it for the first time last year and it’s definitely an annual thing for me now, so much result for so little effort!
This is such a wonderful idea. I think I am going to do one for my mum as an extra Christmas gift – I know she will love it too 🙂 #HowToSundays
I’ve done little pots of forced bulbs as gifts in the past but this would be a lovely long-lasting present for the garden – great idea!
I had never heard of a bulb lasagne until I read your post! We have kind of done that by accident as little A was helping me plant them. We decided just to buy lots of different colours and mix them up. Nowhere near as organised as your bulb lasagne!
Thanks so much for linking up to #HowtoSunday 🙂 x
Nothing wrong with a more freeform approach 🙂 Bulb planting is great for little ones isn’t it, I just wish I’d kept better track of what went where in our garden!
This is so cool! I’ve never heard of this before but it makes perfect sense. I’ll be showing that to my head gardener (my husband) as I am totally lacking green fingers! Becky x #HowtoSunday
Good plan – there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the results of someone else’s gardening!
Hi, I live in the Northeastern US and wold love to try this. Is the idea to keep the planter in the house over the winter? I wasn’t sure from the post. Thanks.
Hi Andrea, the idea is to leave the container outdoors. Here in the UK we would usually plant spring flowering bulbs in the ground in autumn, and it’s the same principle for a container. I’m not sure how severe your winters get though, so you’d be best to follow the same method as you’d normally use for planting spring bulbs. Hope that helps!
Hi, thanks for the lovely guide – I’m definitely doing this and will do a couple of smaller ones as gifts at the same time! My question is, you said this will be an annual thing for you now – does this need to be done fresh every year or can’t it be left in the same pot year after year? Maybe changing the topping to make sure it’s nice all year round?
Ooh good question! Mine generally flower year after year, and I do replace the top layer of compost when I change the bedding plants. You can also lift the bulbs once the foliage has died back and dry them out, then store them – I have to admit I’ve never bothered doing this though, I like the low-maintenance element of leaving well alone!
This is so helpful and such a good idea! Planning to plant bulbs this year and a little clueless…x
Ah really glad you’ve found it useful 🙂
I’d never heard of a bulb lasagne before, what a fantastic idea!
It’s one of those things that sounds bizarre but really works!
This has to be the best blog post title ever!! It really caught my attention and I had no idea what to expect but you’ve explained it perfectly and it makes so much sense. In terms of gardening projects it looks like even something I could manage. Thank you for linking up to #HomeEtc X
Yep it sounds weird, but it’s so easy – and it grows again year after year too, you should definitely give it a go!
Thank you for posting this. I haven’t tried this yet but I’ll most likely do in the next few weeks.
Ooh do give it a try, it’s very satisfying!
Thank you for the detailed recipe for Spring Lasagne:-)) I’m hoping to set up a pot of mine soon. Meanwhile, what do you do with them after they’ve finished flowering? Do you dig up the bulbs and store until autumn or just leave them in the pot? Thanks.
You can lift the bulbs once the foliage has died back and dry them out, then store them – to be honest I’ve never bothered doing this though, and my bulbs generally flower year after year. I do replace the top layer of compost when I change the bedding plants to give it some fresh nutrients though. Happy planting!
After a season or two, is it necessary to put fertilizer on the bulbs? I just planted my first two pots here at my home in Virginia, USA. I plan to plant some ornamental cabbage on the tops.
I’m sure the bulbs would benefit from a feed after a couple of seasons. I usually remove the top layer of compost and replace with fresh when I change the bedding plants too.
Love your post very inspiring. I have done a bulb lasagne before and oooo yes so worth it. I love the idea of planting the top up for winter interest with a heather, heuchera and pansies but do you need to remove them before the bulbs come through? If so is this tricky as you don’t want to disturb the bulbs that are starting to come through?
I’ve never removed the plants, the bulbs always seem to find their way around them. I would say it’s probably worth leaving some small gaps between the plants to make it easier for the bulbs – I would normally fill every available inch but I think it’s a good idea to be a bit more restrained here!
Can you give me some layering ideas for spring to summer bulbs for a spring summer lasagne??
Not all summer flowering bulbs are hardy, so you need to go for varieties that can cope with being planted in autumn/winter. Alliums, lilies and gladioli are all good options; alliums will probably be the first of these to flower, so if you plant more than one ‘summer’ layer put these on the top one. Then layer up your spring bulbs on top, with tulips at the bottom, daffodils/narcissus/anemone/muscari next, and snowdrop/crocus/miniature iris on the top.
Hi,
Thanks for the advice. How would you go about layering bulbs that flower from spring through to winter. Would you have to stagger when you plant each layer as they are planted at different times?
Yes I think you would have to stagger the planting to be sure of a good result. Some summer flowering bulbs (alliums, gladioli, lilies) can be planted in autumn/winter and can go in at the same time as your spring flowering bulbs, but if you want to plant bulbs that flower in autumn/winter (nerines, dahlias, cyclamen, autumn crocus, snowdrops) these shouldn’t be planted until spring at the earliest.
You could try adding your summer/autumn flowering bulbs to the container in spring, but this might be a bit tricky as your spring bulbs will still be putting on a show. I think the best option would probably be to plant two containers, one with spring and summer flowering bulbs, and one with summer and autumn/winter flowering bulbs.
Thanks, I thought as much but hoped you would have some amazing hack.
Oh my goodness! I’ve just come across this article and I can’t wait to try this! What diameter pot would you suggest? I’m a bit of a novice and don’t have much gardening knowledge just yet!
Good question! The answer really depends on the amount of bulbs you want to plant. A 30cm diameter pot is plenty big enough to create a lovely display, but you could go smaller or bigger if that suits your space better. The important thing is to space your bulbs apart in each layer according to the planting instructions on the packet – this gives them the room they need to grow. If you start with your pot, you can buy the right amount of bulbs to fit it, or do it the other way round and choose a pot that has enough space for the bulbs you have. Hope that helps!
I’m so new to gardening, I’ve this idea and would love to try it this year. Am I to late at staring it this month and what would be the best bulbs . Many thanks
No you’re not too late – the best time to plant spring bulbs is autumn 🙂
I love this idea! I prefer the dwarf variety of daffodils and tulips as they don’t tend to collapse in high winds. Would they work in a bulb lasagne?
Yes they would be absolutely fine 🙂