“How many bulbs do I need to fill this space?” That’s a question gardeners ask us often enough that we put together this page to help answer it.

round pattern-bed of
Single Early tulips, 1895

Spring Pattern-Bedding

        In the early years of bedding-out, patterns within the beds were unheard of. Instead, each was filled with a single variety such as the brilliant red-and-yellow tulip, ‘Keizerskroon’. But Victorian taste soon led to much more elaborate designs.

pattern-bedding with hyacinths,
Peter Henderson catalog, 1903

Bulbs for Round and Oval Beds

        In their 1930 catalog, the Zandbergen Brothers of Oyster Bay, NY, included a table listing the number of bulbs needed to plant a round bed measuring from 3 to 20 feet in diameter. We’ve reproduced part of the table below, with additional columns for bulbs planted 3 inches apart (such as crocus) and 18 inches apart (such as lilies).
        If your bed is oval instead of round, they explained, “add the length and breadth and divide by two. [An oval] bed 6 feet wide and 8 feet long will require the same number of bulbs as a round bed 7 feet in diameter. (6 plus 8 is 14; divided by 2 leaves 7.)”

Or for Beds of Any Shape

        Not every space you’ll want to fill with bulbs will be round or oval, but don’t worry. You can figure how many bulbs you’ll need for ANY space by calculating its area and then using the table below. And just in case your memory of high school geometry is less than perfect, here are the basic formulas you’ll need.

rectangular and star-shaped beds,
Peter Henderson catalog, 1903

Tips for Planting the Bulbs

        The Zandbergens also offered guidance on the planting itself. “Plant outside rows first,” they advised. (Gardeners probably knelt on boards to keep from compacting the soil as they worked their way toward the center.) Bulbs “planted 6 inches apart should be placed 3 inches from the edge of the bed; those 12 inches apart should be placed 6 inches from the edge.” And here’s a savvy tip: “It is advisable to plant the outer rows more closely than those toward the center.”

Summer Pattern-Bedding

        Summer bedding was even more popular than spring bedding. In summer beds, exotic sub-tropical bulbs such as cannas, dahlias, and elephant ears were mixed with colorful annuals such as petunias, geraniums, and coleus which were newly arrived from the far corners of the globe.

1878 sub-tropical foliage bed,
Vick’s Monthly Illustrated Magazine

Tallest Plants (in original design = castor bean, poisonous!): banana, canna ‘Musifolia’, dahlia ‘Jersey’s Beauty’, Mexican sunflower (Tithonia), ornamental grasses, potted palm

Medium-Tall Plants (original = cannas): dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff‘, hibiscus, kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Polygonum orientale)

Medium-Short Plants (original = elephant ears): canna ‘Bangkok’, canna ‘Shenandoah’, four o’clocks (Mirabilis), tall salvia

Short Plants (original = coleus): caladium, celosia, dahlia ‘Bonne Esperance’, geraniums, salvia, verbena

Edging Plants (original = dusty miller): ageratum, alternanthera, alyssum, golden feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium ‘Aureum’), lobelia, petunias, verbena

        We hope we’ve helped and maybe even inspired you. If you try a bit of bedding out yourself, or see a great example of it elsewhere, we’d love to hear from you at Charlie@oldhousegardens.com. Photos are welcome, too. Happy gardening!

1883 bedding plans, Vick’s catalog, Rochester, NY