My grandma loves getting flowers. In fact, that was one of the main reasons I decided to try my hand at lasagna planting and forcing flower bulbs this winter. In the past, I’ve forced some hyacinths and tulips, but I wasn’t too invested in learning more about the process. This year, I’ll be trying to pot up several different types of flowering bulbs for blooms this winter. 
First, I needed to find a pot that was big enough to accommodate the flower bulbs. This 3 gallon pot was the perfect size. I’m so glad that I saved it to use later after transplanting the hydrangea bushes that I bought. Ideally, I’d fill the bottom of this pot with gravel or something to make sure that the drainage holes don’t become blocked. I didn’t have any on hand, so I just filled the bucket half way up with potting soil mix. 
The next step was to decide the order in which I would plant the bulbs. In general, it’s best to make sure to arrange the late bloomers – which are usually larger bulbs – on the bottom. Hyacinths, for example, should be planted at a depth of six inches. This means that these went into my pots first. 
For my lasagna flower bulb containers, I wanted to stick with a mostly pink and white theme. Though the pot is plenty large, I only placed a few hyacinths into each. These flowers are insanely fragrant when in bloom, and can easily overtake a small room. 
After I arranged the hyacinth bulbs, I gently covered them with soil. Next, it was time to add the next layer of flower bulbs. 
Since I chose a mid season blooming tulip, I placed them into the next “layer” of the pot. As you can see, you don’t really need to worry about the spacing as long as they aren’t touching each other. 
After I covered the tulips, I neatly arranged the top layer of early blooming white crocus bulbs. By arranging bulbs that bloom at different periods of time, we’ll be able to enjoy a lengthy floral display within the same container. 
Since I’ll be forcing these blooms indoors, my buckets will be going into an old fridge that I use solely for garden stuff. The containers could also be placed in an unheated garage or cellar. These bulbs will need at least 12 weeks of cold treatment before they will be able to bloom. During this time, it will be important that the container does not freeze, as this will damage the bulbs. After the 12 weeks have passed, I can remove them from the fridge and place them in a warm window where they will begin to grow and eventually bloom. Have you ever forced bulbs before?
