Fall 'lasagna planter' creates colorful display through multiple seasons

MILLCREEK, Utah — A simple fall container garden can provide color and blooms well beyond the autumn season when planted using a technique known as a "lasagna planter."

The layered planting method combines spring-flowering bulbs beneath seasonal plants, creating a container that changes and evolves throughout the year.

"We are going to add some bulbs to the bottom, and then we will layer them with our fall color and learn how we can make it an all-season planter," said Heidi Orme, a nursery expert at Millcreek Gardens demonstrating the technique.

The planter features ornamental cabbage, chrysanthemums, ornamental peppers and black pansies for a festive Halloween-inspired look. Beneath the fall display, layers of bulbs are planted at varying depths to bloom in succession next spring.

The process begins with adding soil to the container before layering larger bulbs such as daffodils, tulips and hyacinths near the bottom.

"Larger bulbs will give you bigger flowers," Orme said.

Additional soil is added before placing another layer of bulbs. Smaller bulbs, including crocus, are planted closer to the surface.

Gardeners should follow a simple rule when planting bulbs, according to Orme.

"You only want to plant your bulbs three times the height of the bulb," she said. If a bulb is about two inches, you want to plant it six inches deep.

Once the bulbs are in place, seasonal plants are added on top to provide immediate color and texture. Ornamental cabbage varieties are available as are mums in a wide range of colors, including orange, yellow, pink and red.

For container design, Orme recommends grouping plants in odd numbers.

"Plant in groups of three," she said.

The nursery's display also incorporates ornamental grasses to enhance the fall aesthetic.

"Really, the idea is just have fun," Orme said. A simple fall container garden can provide color and blooms well beyond the autumn season when planted using a technique known as a "lasagna planter."

The finished planter provides instant seasonal appeal while hiding dormant bulbs that will emerge months later, extending the life of the container well into the spring growing season.

During Halloween, Millcreek Gardens is also Festival Transylvania at Millcreek Gardens, a family-friendly, scare-free Halloween attraction offered in the evenings at the nursery located at 3500 S. 900 East in Salt Lake City.

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