Mixing Primulas with spring flowering bulbs + Bulbs and lawns:
Hello,
Just a quick question regarding some spring flowering plants.
I'm hoping to get some primulas (Primrose & Cowslips) growing in a shady bed we have under an Elder.
However there is also a suggestion to put some spring bulbs in (mainly Daffodils and Crocus).
I'm not sure theres too much space there for so much, but I wanted to ask, bearin in mind that both Crocus and Daffodil (for which I personally would lean towards the 'wild' ones) are supposed to multiply readily and spread, how would any potential primroses cope with that?
So in short: Primroses and Daffodils sharing the same flower bed, good idea or very bad?
We also have an Ice Plant in the same bed but obviously that doesn't kick in until much later.
The second question is to do with lawns. We're intending to dig over and re-sow our 'lawn', which just so happens to border the bed in question. As most Daffodils (especially the 'wild' Lent Lily type) and Crocus self-seed/multiply/naturalise they would possibly spread into the lawn.
I know naturalising bulbs in grass is suggested in some places, but I'm just wondering how that would work, would it affect the grass too much (e.g will we just end up with a lot of 'bald spots' in the grass etc).
Just a quick question regarding some spring flowering plants.
I'm hoping to get some primulas (Primrose & Cowslips) growing in a shady bed we have under an Elder.
However there is also a suggestion to put some spring bulbs in (mainly Daffodils and Crocus).
I'm not sure theres too much space there for so much, but I wanted to ask, bearin in mind that both Crocus and Daffodil (for which I personally would lean towards the 'wild' ones) are supposed to multiply readily and spread, how would any potential primroses cope with that?
So in short: Primroses and Daffodils sharing the same flower bed, good idea or very bad?
We also have an Ice Plant in the same bed but obviously that doesn't kick in until much later.
The second question is to do with lawns. We're intending to dig over and re-sow our 'lawn', which just so happens to border the bed in question. As most Daffodils (especially the 'wild' Lent Lily type) and Crocus self-seed/multiply/naturalise they would possibly spread into the lawn.
I know naturalising bulbs in grass is suggested in some places, but I'm just wondering how that would work, would it affect the grass too much (e.g will we just end up with a lot of 'bald spots' in the grass etc).
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We have quite a large area of grass and primroses self seed and spread about in parts. We don't do anything to deter or encourage them, they just do their own thing. They grow singly and do not crowd anything or affect the grass. Daffodils also grow in some parts. They do not seed, as far as I am aware, but they form clumps. There are two drawbacks: you cannot cut the grass until the leaves die back and when they do you will have visible yellowed patches of grass with little gaps where the daffs were.
This means that if you want a lawn it will look scrappy for months, but if you lean towards the wildflower meadow the fading bulbs will be concealed. The larger the area, the less it matters - you can have 'wild' and cultivated areas, but it a small lawn it might present problems.
When it comes to having them in grass/lawns, bear in mind that by the time daffs are finished and the foliage has died back, it can be quite late in spring, depending on where you live, and it means you have to leave the grass round them for longer before cutting. It can be fine if it's a strip along an edge or similar, but can look messy if it's random patches throughout the lawn. Crocus ar efine as they're much earlier.
It also depends on how much it bothers you
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Good luck with your plans.
Personally I wouldn't mind having flowers in the grass, make it a bit more interesting, so if a few primroses or crocus slip in I'm not going to be terribly bothered about it, but others are very much of the 'a lawn is 100% grass and nothing else' mindset hehe.
Thanks for all the replies.