Flowers in spring: what you can plant in the garden now
by Michael Watson (comments: 0
As soon as the first snowdrops sprout from the ground, the cold, dark winter no longer has much to say. After months of gray weather and bare forests, spring brings the first delicate spring flowers: daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, and snowdrops.
As beautiful as these early bloomers are, their floral splendor unfortunately doesn't last forever. Most bulb flowers fade by the end of April. To still have bee visits after that, you need to get your garden ready for spring! Fortunately, it's quite easy, as you can quickly ensure that plenty of stunning flowers bloom when the last crocuses wilt. To have your garden bursting with blooms from spring through fall, you'll need to do a bit of gardening work in March and April. But one thing we promise: your flower bed will be a showstopper in the garden!
Flower bulbs: tulips, daffodils and crocuses
The first spring flowers are almost exclusively bulb flowers. The reason for this is that bulb flowers are already fully formed in their bulbs during the winter, waiting for spring. Once it’s warm enough, the plant shoots up from the bulb and blooms above the ground, where it can even withstand light frosts. Until the plant sees the light of day, it lives off reserve substances and nutrients stored in the bulb.
For us gardeners, this means that we must plant our flower bulbs in the fall if we want magnificent blooms in our flower beds in the spring. It’s best to use well-drained soil – if the ground is too compacted or too wet, you’ll need to dig it up! Of course, you can also plant your flower bulbs in pots or containers. The blooming periods of classic spring flowers (like crocuses, daffodils, and tulips) range from February to May.
Spring cleaning in the garden: how to ensure bright colors from spring to autumn
If you didn’t manage to plant your flower bulbs in the fall, you can still accomplish a lot in your garden in the spring. First, you should prepare the soil in your garden. Start by removing leaves and other garden debris from the surface. Most bee-friendly plants prefer poor soil. Therefore, you can skip fertilizing, and your bee meadow doesn’t need additional compost either!
If you already know that you have very humus-rich soil (or if you’re using pre-fertilized soil from the hardware store), you can “thin it out” in the spring. For this, take a bucket of sand, pour it onto the soil, and dig up your bed. It’s best to use a rake or a garden hoe for this task.
Once your bed is free of leaves, you can start sowing. If you use Bee friendly's bee seed, you can remember that each bee seed bag contains enough seeds for 3–5 square meters. Please keep in mind, however, that not all plant seeds will actually germinate. Depending on the weather, soil quality, and location, some wildflower species will have an easier time – while others will struggle. If you choose a semi-shady location for your flower bed, sunflowers, marigolds, and mallows will have a hard time thriving.
Sowing seeds in the garden: bright colors in spring, summer and autumn
The Bee friendly bee seed is designed so that you can sow it throughout the year. However, if you want to see quick results, we recommend sowing between March and April. Once the first warm rays of sunlight warm your flower bed in spring, the first seeds can begin to germinate.
When sowing in spring, there are a few things you should keep in mind: You may know the saying, "More is better." However, this does not apply to sowing our bee seed. Please make sure not to sow your seeds too closely together, as the plants will then compete for space, water, and light. If you sow your bee seed too densely, only the fast-growing plants will survive, and your bee meadow will not be as diverse, colorful, and beautiful as it could have been.
Once your bed is prepared, you can start sowing. Distribute the bee seed evenly over the soil by tossing it by hand. Please remember: One Bee friendly bee seed bag is enough for 3–5 square meters! If you like, you can also mix your seeds with a handful of sand before tossing them. This will help spread the seeds more evenly.
Since most wildflowers are light germinators, you're almost done. Take a roller, a board, or just your hand and gently press the seeds into the soil. But make sure not to cover the seeds with soil! And your garden is now ready for spring. Now you just need to make sure the soil stays nice and moist (not soggy). Depending on the weather, it may take a few weeks for the first wildflowers to emerge from the soil – so please be patient! You can find more tips and tricks for your bee-friendly garden in our blog.