Plants on top of bulbs

[Allycat]

Hi there
I have just potted up some spring flowering bulbs.
Obviously until they start to come through the pot is just a pot of mud! Can I plant pansies or something similar on top of them, or will it hinder the bulbs coming through??
Thanks

Not sure I'm afraid, but following as I'd like to do the same!

Yes you absolutely can, annuals over the top, perennials around the tip of the bulb so it can push up through. The only thing you have to watch out for is that you don't dislodge or cut the bulb accidentally.

yes, no problem. the bulbs will gind their way.

Yes, you can. I usually use trailing plants like ivy, trailing thyme or pansies so that when the bulbs come through the bedding plants aren't engulfed/entirely covered by the bulbs IYSWIM.

Brilliant thanks. I suppose once the bulbs start coming through I can remove the pansies and plant them somewhere else?

Not really as the roots will be entangled @Allycat.

I suppose if they are very large pots, you could plant the pansies around the edge of the pot with no bulbs underneath them and put gravel in the middle area where the bulbs are planted. You might be able to get them out that way.

I sometimes put a cyclamen in the middle of a bulb pot for autumn colour with gravel over any bare earth if the pot has early bulbs eg snowdrops, iris retuculata, which will start blooming from January here. The gravel helps discourage slugs/squirrels/birds too!

Hmmm thats true.
Good idea about the gravel, I hadn't thought of that!!

I sometimes use aquarium gravel as it comes in a range of colours. Obviously it depends on your style... I used it to match the colour of modern planters on an urban terrace. I also sometimes use it to grow forced bulbs indoors in vases.

Wow such great tips. Thank you!

Have you watched Monty Don planting up container bulbs so they all grow through at different times

That sounds like a good idea. Do you think its available on catch up?

Just type in monty don winter container bulbs and there's a Gardeners World video. Might be on Youtube too.

Monty did a clip on layering tulips on tonight's gardeners world !

Google lasagne planting @Allycat if you can't find the Monty Don video.

It's when you plant bulbs in 3 layers so that the top layer is an early blooming species, then the next layer flowers, then the bottom layer so you have continuous flowering for several months. You can plant bedding on top of the bulbs for winter/autumn interest.

You can't really do more than 3 layers of bulbs but I sometimes prolong the flowering time to 5 months by making the top layer mixed small bulbs eg Jan snowdrops Feb Iris reticulata, Mar miniature early narcissus/crocus/ipheion/muscari on the top layer then I pick something one type of April flowering bulb for the middle layer and one type of May flowering bulb for the bottom layer eg daffodils, hyacinths, anemones and tulips.

Although it looks better if you pack in a lot of bulbs, particularly larger plants, but I think for the early flowering bulbs, it can still look good having just a few snowdrops or crocuses, particularly if you have bedding plants or gravel on top.

Wow. Just wow. Im so going to try it!