Planting alyssum with bulbs for beauty and fragrance

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One of the best combinations that you can do in the garden is to plant alyssum at the *feet* of your bulbs. This will give a nice floral effect on the ground (instead of just seeing dead leaves and dirt) and has the bonus of adding a wonderful fragrance to your garden.

The trick to this is timing, and using the smallest alyssum plants that you can. This is how you do it -

• Plant the bulbs in nice, rich potting soil. I use Miracle Grow Moisture Control®. No, they don't pay me to advertise it, but they should! I also add in more slow-release plant food and polymer moisture crystals. In this area, I have planted Sparaxis.

• When the bulbs start sprouting, that tells you where to plant the alyssum. Very carefully plant the alyssum between the sprouting bulbs. You won't have much room, but if you get little tiny plants, you won't need much room. I've started mine from seed and they are about two months old, which is just perfect. Don't worry if they droop over, alyssum grows like that. Give it a good squirt with the spray bottle and keep an eye on them. The sprouting bulbs will help *nursery* them in, so that helps, too.

• Keep your regular watering schedule. Even though the weather is cooling down now (it's October 31st), this is no time to turn off the water! It can still get hot in the sun, and these plants are babies!

The alyssum will spread and stay low, making a beautiful blooming ground cover that smells great, too! It will bloom throughout the winter and spring.

Comments

Earl Roberts said…
Not just artificial fragrances can give us a natural and sweet scent. Even nature of it's own can manufacture it. Environment friendly!
November 1, 2011 at 10:59 PM
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