Color Your Grass™

Crocuses and White Squill grace the front lawn of the Colorblends House & Spring Garden. The bulbs were planted more than 10 years ago. Mowing is delayed by several weeks after bloom to allow the bulbs time to store up the energy they will need to produce the following spring’s flowers.

In the Colorblends display garden, which Dutch designer Jacqueline van der Kloet originally laid out, the emphasis is on naturalistic plantings. This means bulbs are planted the way nature might do it. To keep maintenance to a minimum and mimic how bulbs often grow in the wild, most of the plantings are in turf. And to provide a long season of interest, they typically consist of bulbs that bloom in succession.

Visitors love these plantings, so we felt we should share some suggested recipes with our customers. Here are four to consider; many variations are possible. For design and planting instructions, see How to Plant Bulbs in Grass.

Please note: If you plant bulbs in grass, you must wait to mow until late spring or early summer, after the bulb foliage has completely yellowed. By the time the foliage has yellowed, the grass may be very tall, particularly if daffodils are in the mix.

Note to customers in warm climates: Some of the bulbs listed below require prechilling and are unlikely to perform well beyond the first spring.

1. An Early-Spring Carpet of White, Purple, and Light Blue

The show begins with Snowdrops, peaks with the Hokus Crocus Blend and White Squill, as shown above, and finishes with Glory of the Snow.

2. A Colorful Mix That Spans Almost the Entire Spring Bulb Season

Tommies Crocuses give way to Blue Squill, Striped Squill, and Snake’s Head (shown above). Snowflake and finally Daffodil Poeticus Recurvus bring up the rear.

3. Spring Symphony in Blue, Yellow, and White

The composition begins with the miniature daffodil Elka; builds to a crescendo with Muscari Latifolium, Daffodil Yellow Ocean, and Grape Hyacinths; and winds down with Sun Disc, which has yet to make an appearance in the photo above.

4. Appealing to the Eye, Unappetizing to Deer

Snowdrops and Winter Wolf’s Bane get the ball rolling. They are soon followed by two miniature daffodils—Tête-à-Tête and Jetfire—and soft blue Glory of the Snow, as shown above. Daffodil Sun Disc brings down the curtain as the grass grows tall.