Bulb Lasagne

A bulb lasgne is an easy way to guarantee some early season colour. A job to do in October, simply pop down to your local garden centre buy your favourite bulb selections and garden. I  like to use two black planters that happen to be supported on legs. This is useful for drainage and protection from slugs.

Starting from the base of a couple of old bits of broken crockery add a layer of compost. Then bed in a good selection of your favourite tulips bulbs. More compost and some nice daffodils can be added to make another layer. More compost, then I add a personal plant favourite, dome dwarf iris bulbs. Finally, another compost layer and then some winter pansies for the top. Hey Presto.

Although my winter pansies never seem to last much more than a couple of weeks before beginning to look increasingly disheveled, at least they offer the bulbs some protection from hungry squirrels. My other tubs need a protective layer of chicken wire draped across the top. Do any readers have any good tips for prolonging the just planted look of my pansies? I suspect the rather gloomy November light down on the patio had something to do with it.

Patio furniture still under cover and a Mili taking shelter in a secret hideout

The Patio

The patio is the most accessible part of the garden. Directly outside the kitchen door, this is the most sheltered spot that we have. Although the pressed concrete floor is now looking a little weathered, that is hardly surprising, given that it was laid over 25 years ago. The patio is bounded by a living wall, covered in ivy and creeping jenny and has a small pond at one end. It is perhaps the best used part of our outdoors. The usual table and chairs allow for a civilized summer breakfast or alfresco lunch. By contrast the bench by the pond is a tranquil shady retreat in the mid afternoon summer heat. The patio is also directly accessed via the flap by Mili and Hecate.

Through winter it is  visible from the kitchen window and at the moment spring colour in the pots and tubs heralds the real start of the gardening year.  A real treat, which happens to be nice and easy to do are the bulb lasagnes in the tubs. Given the blog's stated purpose I will share my tips in a later post.

Welcome Curious Gardeners and Ailurophiles

Starting a new blog seems a daunting task. I suppose the easiest way will be to introduce the two felines whose outdoor space I do my best to tend, Mili (right) and Hecate (left).

We have lived together for 9 years and despite appearances to the contrary, they are not in fact sisters. The blog will, over time, reflect all our interests in the great outdoors

The garden is my excuse to get out of the house. It is a work in progress and a major hope for this blog will be to pick up tips and more detailed advice from any knowledgeable readers. Your feedback will be most appreciated.

The elevation of the house and garden make design and maintenance a challenge. The climate, soil, relief and drainage each present different puzzles to solve. Welcome to our garden.