How planting bulbs in the lawn can brighten up your garden

It wouldn't surprise you if we were to say that the garden doesn't look its best in January and February, and this can even drag on into March. In particular, the lawn can look pretty dreadful during the first two or three months of the year.  

We all know the problem - we haven't been able to get out in the garden and mow the lawn since October or November, so the grass is extremely long, and its been depressingly wet, cold and miserable, so parts of the lawn may look rather muddy and unpleasant.

The glorious summer months of July and August, when you may have been sat in your garden enjoying a meal or a drink, or even lying on the grass enjoying the sun, seem a very long way away. In fact, you may look out of the window at your lawn and cringe, and hope that any visitors that you have over don't look out at your lawn, as you feel incredibly embarrassed about it.

Well, there are a couple of things to remember here. The first is that everybody is in the same position. Nobody can get out in the winter and cut the grass, and the rain, snow and frost have an impact on everybody's lawn. But the other thing to remember is that there are things you can do to make your lawn look more visually appealing, so it isn't such a dreadful site in the early months of the year before you can get out to work on the garden.

Something that has become increasingly popular with a lot of people is creating areas within the lawn where they can plant different varieties of bulbs such as snowdrops and crocuses.  This produces a display of flowers that grow within the lawn.

There are winter flower varieties of crocus that really do create a splash of vibrant colour to lawns. We have several varieties that are suitable on our website - Blue Pearl, Dorothy, Fuscotinctus, Romance, Ruby Giant, Sieberi Tricolour, Snowbunting and Tommasinianus all flower from January to March. We also have Large Flowering Crocuses which we sell either as mixed bulbs, or are available as separate colours of blue, purple, striped, white or yellow. These flower from February through to April. Seeing colourful crocuses at the end of winter and beginning of Spring can really lift your spirits and always catch people's eye.

The site of snowdrops in woodlands, fields, on the sides of roads and paths also attracts people's attention in the gloomy winter months, acting as a sign that spring is just around the corner. Everybody comments and is delighted when they see a glorious display of snowdrops in January and February, so why not replicate that effect in your garden? Our Galanthus Elwesii, Flore Pleno, Ikariae (Woronowii) and Nivalis snowdrop bulbs flower from January through to March. Combine the crocus and snowdrop bulbs and you have a glorious display of flowers in your lawn from early January all the way through to April.

Another benefit is that the flowers die back just before it is time for you to start cutting the lawn, and as a result the next year the flowers increase and come back again. This means that during the summer you still have a nice, smooth, clear flower free lawn that you can still lie on, play on, have your garden furniture or a paddling pool on, but then during the winter when you are not using the lawn, it doesn't just look like a mud pit. Although this is only something relatively minor, it makes the lawn look that little bit more attractive when the grass is longer and looking unkempt.

Even the best gardeners will find at the end of the winter that their lawns are looking tired when the weather has been harsh and that it doesn't look as green and inviting as it would normally, but it certainly looks better if there are flowers in amongst the grass that are also attracting pollinating insects.

If you need more help with planting your bulbs or looking after your lawn, then please contact us. Boston Bulbs Wholesale is a privately-owned business with over 35 years' experience of importing only the finest quality horticultural products throughout Europe and from farmers and growers all over the UK. Whether you're a landscaper, nursery, local authority, wholesaler, retailer, private business or individual gardener, just give us a call on 01775 769 333 or visit / for help with flower bulbs, grass seed and more.