On hands and knees, she and volunteers will methodically bury the bulbs.

Inside more than 6,000 shells, vibrant spring hues of red and yellow need only a little time before they shoot toward the sky and light up three acres at the Paine Art Center and Gardens. This spring, Sheila Glaske will watch in satisfaction as the specially arranged 6,000 flowers such as tulips and daffodils rise up in the precise pattern she designed.

“Every year we change the annuals and the bulbs, and we try to bring in new and interesting combinations in plant material,” said Glaske, curator of horticulture at the Paine for nine years.

It all starts with a design and an idea on paper inspired by magazines, horticulture and design books and what she takes away from conferences, said 33-year-old Glaske.

“Mostly, color combinations kind of dictate the design,” she said. “Then texture is a big thing with me, because not only do you have color to look at but you have texture while things aren’t in bloom.”

Glaske, who earned a degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls gets inspiration for her floral and garden designs in often unconventional places.

“Say a tree is a birch, and it has white bark,” she said. “Go take out a paint sample. You’ll find from 20 to 25 different colors of that birch, but you train your eye to look at colors a little deeper.”

Her trips to stores in part result in spring-like, neon colors such as fuchsia and bright blues that can be seen during events like Saturday’s Festival of Spring and the Sunday, July 8 Faire on the Green.

In June, Glaske and volunteers will put more than 10,000 annuals into the ground so a new palette will flourish during the Saturday, Sept. 8 Jazz in the Gardens.

“Horticulture is an art; we just use different media,” she said. “It’s a combination of art and science.”

Tips for gardeners from Sheila Glaske:

Containers: The key to great containers, she says, is to start with really loose, good soil. Also, “if people don’t have an eye for combinations in a container, what they could do is buy a basket that’s already put together,” she said.

“Then take the hanging basket out of the container and put it in your own. You have an instant arrangement.”

To find pre-made container arrangements, flower enthusiasts might try a greenhouse. “They put the combination together, and all you have to do is take it out and put it in your containers,” Glaske said.

Design: When Glaske plants the gardens at the Paine, she pretends it’s one big floral arrangement, needing what she calls “thrillers,” “spillers” and “fillers.”

“Thrillers, especially in containers, are the start,” she said. “Then there’s the spillers that kind of go over the containers, and fillers fill the container.”

It’s important to vary plant texture throughout, she said.

Begin first with a plan on paper. Inspirations may come from magazines, horticulture design books, even browsing paint store samples.

Sarah Owen: (920) 426-6671 or sowen2@thenorthwestern.com. By Sarah Owen