The most common denominator in American landscapes is lawn—in many cases, a lot of lawn. A lawn is often functional, and a well-maintained lawn can be attractive. If you have a grassy area that doesn’t have to be mowed religiously, that portion of lawn can double as the setting for a beautiful spring bulb display.
Colorblends offers several recipes for colorful spring lawns that we refer to collectively as Color Your Grass™. Here we provide a step-by-step approach to design and planting.
Suggested Tools
To mark the outline of the planting and the placement of bulbs, one or more of the following:
- Marking paint (spray paint that is designed for use in construction and landscaping)
- Marking flags
- Garden hose(s)
For mixing bulbs, one or more of the following:
- Wheelbarrow
- Bulb crate
- Bucket
Planting tools:
- Soil knife (Hori-Hori)
- Step-on Daffodil Planter
- Garden gloves (if you like to wear gloves or the weather is cold)
Design and Planting
Step 1. Choose a location.
For best results, plant the bulbs where they will receive plenty of spring sunshine and where the soil drains well. Also, plant the bulbs where the grass can be allowed to grow, unmown, until late spring or early summer. After they flower, bulbs need to soak up sunshine until the leaves yellow and wither. By the time it is safe to mow, the grass will be quite tall. If daffodils are in the mix, the grass will a foot tall or more, and the flowers of the grass could reach a height of 3’.
Step 2. Mow the grass.
Set the blade lower than you might normally (but don’t scalp the grass). Mowing will help you see bulbs sitting on top of the grass. To state the obvious: The bulbs you can’t see won’t get planted. Bulbs must be planted in soil to grow and bloom in the spring. Any left sitting in the grass will dry out and die or be killed by winter cold.
Step 3. Lay out your planting.
If you have a clear idea of where you want to plant or the space is defined for you (an area bordered by features of the landscape such as a wall or a foot path or a driveway, for example), you can skip this step. Otherwise, you should consider delineating the edge of your planting. You can use marking paint, marking flags, or one or more garden hoses. For a naturalistic look, rounded shapes work best.
Step 4. Mix the bulbs.
If you are planting more than one type of bulb, open the bags into a plastic crate or a wheelbarrow and mix them with your hands. You may want to mix small bulbs and larger bulbs separately. The small bulbs have a tendency to filter down to the bottom when you mix them with large bulbs.
Step 5. Toss or place the bulbs on the grass.
To achieve a natural look, you can toss the bulbs into the planting area and plant them where they lie. Some areas will be thickly planted, some sparsely. This is what you would expect to find in nature. The challenge, with this approach, is finding and planting all of the bulbs.
If you prefer a more even look, you can set out marking flags to show what goes where. Marking flags are available in many colors; you can use different colors for different types or varieties of bulbs. After mixing the bulbs, walk from flag to flag and place bulbs at the base of each flag. Set additional flags if you have leftover bulbs. Redistribute the bulbs or pull flags if you run short on bulbs.
Step 6. Plant the bulbs.
Planting bulbs in grass can be slow going. The grass forms a mat that you must cut through so that the bulbs can be placed in contact with the soil below. For small bulbs, a soil knife (sometimes called a hori-hori) does that nicely. For larger bulbs, a tool that you can drive through the turf with your foot—like the Colorblends Step-on Daffodil Planter—will make the job easier.
A few planting tips:
- You can skimp a bit on the planting depths shown on the bag labels because the turf serves as a thick insulating blanket.
- For small bulbs, cutting a wedge through the turf is hole enough: Stab the ground with a soil knife, pull toward you, remove the tool, set the bulb in place, and you’re done.
- For large bulbs, after digging a hole and setting the bulb in place, backfill with the soil you removed. If you lifted sod to make the hole, put the sod back into place and step on it.
- If you are planting small bulbs with large bulbs, begin by mixing and tossing the large bulbs (or place them next to flags). Leave them sitting on top of the turf. Then mix the small bulbs in a bucket and walk among the large bulbs, stopping to plant the small bulbs here and there around the big ones as randomly as you can. Then go back and plant the big bulbs.
- If you are planting a large area and are concerned that you may not be able to get the bulbs planted during a single session, set out only the number of bulbs you have the time to plant. Use marking flags or a garden hose to define your stopping point. Resume placing and planting bulbs another day.
Last thing: If you live in a climate where fall moisture—in the form of rain or snow—is not dependable, you might want to set up a sprinkler to water the area that you planted. In most parts of the U.S., watering after planting is not necessary.
After-Bloom Care
Here’s some great news: There is no care required. Bulbs need little to no fertilizer. They don’t need extra water (unless you live in an arid climate where you have to water to keep the grass alive). They don’t need to have their spent flowers removed. Once they are in the ground, they are on their own.
Nice!
But: You must postpone mowing in the spring until all of the foliage has collapsed and turned completely yellow, signaling that the bulbs have gone dormant for summer. The leaves are the food factory for the bulbs. They convert sunshine into the chemical energy needed to make next year’s foliage and flowers. If you cut the foliage before it turns yellow, you may be cutting off next year’s flowers.
Need a reminder of where not to mow until the grass is tall enough to make the no-mow area obvious? Use marking or irrigation flags to outline your planting. These little flags are available at most hardware and home stores. If you employ a lawn care company, make sure that the people doing the mowing understand to stay away from the area marked by the flags.
