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It's October and the garden is looking a bit tired. Then again, you're probably a little tired of the garden too. But by thinking ahead now and planting glorious wildflower bulbs, your garden (and you) will not only cheer up next spring, but for many springs to come. 

Wildflower bulbs are a special group of plants that brings a touch of the wild back into the garden. These bulbs are essentially like those that you see hiking the wild areas of their native countries. Granted, this definition is a loose one but the charm of this group is undeniable.

Typically the wildflower bulbs and the flowers are smaller than the big hybridized varieties like the Darwin Hybrid Tulips or the large garden Daffodils. But what they lack in stature, they make up for with a profusion of bloom as they "naturalize" or multiply and spread in their new garden homes. But to get them started, you'll want to plant them in "drifts" of a dozen or more. They'll pop up in mass, providing instant color then continue spreading from then on.

There's no need to divide wildflower bulbs; these little guys actually like being bunched up close together--which give them an edge when it comes to being creative in your garden. Because of their spreading quality, wildflower bulbs offer design opportunities that the larger bulb varieties don't.

Think Meadow 
The most popular places to plant wildflower bulbs are in lawns and in lightly wooded areas. Once they get to spreading (after a year or two), they'll take on the appearance of a meadow. Or if you're running short on lawns and woods, consider planting them under deciduous shrubs, small trees and dwarf conifers--open places that are often overlooked.

Wildflower bulbs are no more than 8" high and give the "meadow look" with a soft carpeting of color. In small areas such as tiny backyards they'll give the illusion of expanse.

A few bulbs that do well under trees and shrubs

• Galanthus (8" high)
• Scillia siberica (6" high)
• Anemone (4" high)

Consider Bloom Time  
Another way to use the spreading quality of wildflower bulbs is to intersperse them, making drifts according to when they bloom. This extends the season of color in your garden from early to late spring. Following are when the different kinds bloom. 

Early Spring

• Chionodoxa
• Crocus
• Ipheion
• Miniature Wildflower Iris

Mid-Spring

• Leucojum
• Wildflower Daffodils
• Wildflower Tulips

Late Spring

• Brodiaea
• Camassia
• Hyacinthoides
• Muscari

Use With Groundcovers 
Low growing mats around bulbs highlight them. Try Veronica or Thyme to create a carpet of green. In some climates the Veronica may be blooming the same time as your bulbs. Two wildflower bulbs that look nice before the native grasses get tall are crocus, tulips and miniature daffodils. After blooms fade, let the foliage turn brown before the grass is mowed.

Plant Along Walkways  
Nothing lifts the spirit more after winter than seeing the first bright blooms on the way to the car. It's the little wildflower bulbs that peep through the blankets of spring snows. Plant bulbs randomly along the edges of pathways.

To experiment with several varieties get our Wildflower Bulb Samplers. And for more tips about planting and designing with bulbs find more bulb articles in our library. http://www.highcountrygardens.com/library/view/topic/26/

The best part about creating a drift of wildflowers in your garden is the rewards will last many years and keep getting better.

David's Helpful Hints: Layering Bulbs for Extra Extravaganza

Layering bulbs is just that: placing large bulbs in the bottom of a hole then adding smaller bulbs on top as the hole is backfilled with soil. Crowding doesn't bother bulbs and this unique way of planting bulbs allows for--

• varied colors and textures in one spot
• that full garden look in limited space
• great color from early spring to late August

How to Layer

• Dig a hole about 12" deep
• Fill bottom with 2-3" of coarse sand, then 2" of good soil.
• Begin layering bulbs, placing 2" of soil between them

Layering

Sort the bulbs you want to plant according to size. Plant the biggest ones at the bottom of the hole and then keep adding bulbs in layers according to size with about 2 inches of soil between each layer.

Suggestions for three layers of bulbs

• bottom lilies, tulips, allium
• middle galanthus, narcissi
• top crocus, miniature iris, muscari, scilla

Next, write down what you've planted in each hole so you'll know what's coming up when. Layering bulbs is a fun way to have a change of color in your garden throughout the growing season.

Plant Combinations for Garden Design