Planting Bulbs in a New Garden
My newest garden at the farm will soon be flourishing in a palette of green and white.
Last week, my gardening team planted dozens of young hosta plants in the beds in front of my main greenhouse. They were planted in a more formal grid pattern, framing squares across the entire area. Within the squares, I decided to plant white lilies - about 25 in each, organized by height from back to front. The lilies came from Zabo Plant, a wholesale bulb supplier in The Netherlands. Some of the varieties include: 'Severn', 'Saronno', 'Kayenta', 'Maxima', 'Crystal Blanca', 'Zambesi', 'Nova Zembla', 'Seine', 'Castellani', 'San Christina', 'Serena Madonna', and 'Roselily Angela'. These lilies should bloom mid to late summer - I can’t wait.
Here are some of the photos from our planting process - enjoy.
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- Whenever I order bulbs, I order enough for the gardens in all three of my homes – Bedford, East Hampton, and Skylands, my beloved home in Maine.
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- I decided a majority of the lily bulbs for Bedford would be planted in the two new gardens in front of my main greenhouse – a generous grouping within each square of the grid. Symmetry is a very important aspect of any formal garden, so the areas must all be measured perfectly.
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- Dawa and Phurba begin making the holes for the bulbs.
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- Each hole should be at least eight inches deep to accommodate the large lily bulbs.
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- Here is Ryan transporting the first crate of lilies to be planted in the area.
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- These lilies are packed very carefully in sphagnum peat moss for bulk transport. Zoe carefully removes each of the bulbs from the crate and places them in another container ready for planting. Zoe is also wearing a pair of my Non-Slip Grip Garden Gloves from QVC in slate.
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- When planting bulbs, take out a small number at a time, so they are not exposed to the sun for too long. Because we are working in a group, we are able to get these in the ground very quickly.
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- It is easy to tell on these bulbs, which end points downward and which end points up. The roots should be free of tangles and placed unfolded in the hole.
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- Zoe drops each bulb into a hole. The holes are about four to six inches apart.
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- While Zoe plants a selection of lily bulbs, Ryan prepares another group. Each crate contains a different variety, so it is important to keep them separate.
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- This batch appears pink in color, but all the lilies in this garden are white.
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- Zoe begins dropping bulbs into the middle section of this bed.
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- Again, the bulbs are set deep, so the tip of the bulb itself is at least three or four inches beneath the soil.
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- Once a section is filled, Zoe backfills all the holes, so the bulbs are well covered.
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- Everyone is working quickly and efficiently ahead of pending rainstorms.
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- The back row is now ready for bulbs. The most important consideration in planting lilies is drainage. Without proper drainage, lilies will be stunted and have less of a chance of survival from year to year. Lilies don’t like wet feet.
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- Once an area is planted, the soil is raked neatly within each square.
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- Ryan also prepares a batch of lily bulbs for the flower cutting garden. Around my farm, I have many, many lilies. I always plant the most interesting flower varieties I can find through trusted growers and from various nurseries I visit around the world.
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- Here is Ryan organizing the lily bulbs with his pair of Non-Slip Grip Garden Gloves from my QVC collection – this pair in black.
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- Ryan selects specific places for the bulbs and puts them down in small clumps where they will be planted. This is always a good idea before digging the holes so they can be positioned where they will look best.
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- And here is Phurba following closely behind to make the holes and plant the lily bulbs.
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- While planting, everyone looks around for any weeds that need pulling. This is always done by hand so as not to disturb any of the other specimens. And of course, everyone loves to use my Multipurpose Heavy Duty XL Totes from QVC – easy to carry, easy to empty and so versatile. What are you planting in your gardens this week? Share your comments below.
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