I’d always wanted a flowery mead. (AKA – a bulb lawn for the less romantic among us). And to be honest it took the help of flowerbulbs.com to finally get me there.

I started as many garden makers do – too timid and too light-handed with my intentions. Back in 2011, I wrote about how I was experimenting with the mead and the plants I was choosing. Note how I was all inspired by the bulbs that existed before I arrived but then I was trying to populate it with everything but bulbs?

Sometimes I miss the most obvious cues/ clues.

There are many ways to re-wild your lawn. Bending it towards a more diverse meadow is an exciting endeavor that will make your garden not only prettier but a better ecological resource. But if you want the easiest way to get started, adding a collection of underplanted spring bulbs is the quickest path to spring enlightenment.

My wildly successful bulb lawn story started last year and in the spirit of building on successes – I’m expanding on it this fall.

You don’t need to remove your lawn to plant spring bulbs in it. Cut a V- or L-shaped opening in the turf, lift the grass back, loosen the soil, plant bulbs at the appropriate depth and replace the turf. The bulbs will grow through the grass in spring, and the lawn can return to its usual appearance once the foliage has finished growing.

The one important catch is mowing. You’ll need to let the bulb foliage yellow naturally before cutting it back, so choose an area where you can tolerate longer grass into late spring or early summer.

The bulb lawn and its variations go by many names. Flowery mead (medieval), Old English mæd, or just a meadow (an evolution of the mæd). The style known is also sometimes associated with “millefleur”, meaning “thousand flowers”. It was also referred to as ‘Ings’ by old Norse, The Dutch tradition of stinzenplanten, or stinzen gardens, is another related approach.

The basics are similar — early spring bulbs and other flowering plants emerge through a grassy matrix, often before the lawn has really begun growing.

For more on the Dutch tradition and how I designed my original planting, see my stinzen garden article.

Reasons to Plant a Bulb Lawn:

There is no doubt that any garden installation that doesn’t require constant future work is one that you will eventually love more than something you have to tend and tinker with constantly.

Even if you choose pottering in the garden over all other hobbies, I guarantee there will come a day when you value, above all else, the things that are beautiful even in your laziest, most overwhelmed and neglectful seasons of life.

Installing a bulb lawn is a step down the path of lower-maintenance garden making.

Plant once and enjoy the bulbs for years

The best thing about a well-planned bulb lawn is that you can plant it once and enjoy it for years.

These bulbs — you must choose them wisely, but I’ve included a list below to get you started — can multiply. In the right conditions, you’ll get more flowers over time without having to replant every fall.

There are plants that are an investment because they are rare, slow, hard to grow or uniquely exotic. And then there are the ones that are like buying Amazon stock in 1997.

Time and patience transform a small act into a profusion of riches.

These bulbs are called naturalizers, meaning that they reproduce and establish themselves over time. Some increase by forming offsets, while others also spread by seed. How enthusiastically they do either depends on the species and the conditions.

The goal is to create a carpet of flowers where singles once stood — without having to start from scratch every year.

Turf bulbs provide important early season pollen and nectar for pollinators.

A bulb lawn will burst into bloom before the grass is green. Snow drops and winter aconite will sometimes bloom beneath a layer of snow or will bravely poke through it to remind us that spring will actually come. (Even if sometimes it seems soo far away).

Choose single flowering bulbs so insect can reach the pollen and nectar more easily. (Most all of the bulbs below check this requirement. So you can feel confident that early bees will find their first syrup laced flowers in your garden).

Spring bulbs provide early-season pollen and nectar

A bulb lawn can burst into bloom before the grass is green.

Snowdrops and winter aconite sometimes bloom beneath a layer of snow or poke through it to remind us that spring will actually come. (Even if sometimes it seems so far away.)

Choose single-flowered varieties with accessible pollen and nectar. Some early bees and other insects will use them when weather conditions allow.

These bulbs aren’t a substitute for native spring-flowering plants or a season-long supply of forage. Think of them as one more flowering layer in a more diverse garden.

Some bulb lawns are more resistant to squirrels, rodents and deer

You can also take comfort that you aren’t necessarily spending your hard-earned dollars buying chipmunk caviar.

With the exception of tulips and crocuses, many of the bulbs on my list are less appealing to squirrels and other rodents. Deer also tend to leave some of them alone, although no planting is guaranteed protection.

My garden is eaten by everything — moles, voles, woodchucks, deer, raccoons, bears, mice, chipmunks and more — but the bulbs that I planted in my stinzen garden last year were entirely untouched.

(I’m knocking on wood that it stays that way!)

A bulb lawn can reduce some weeding

A garden planted in a matrix of grass doesn’t require the same kind of regular weeding as a traditional flower bed.

The grass and whatever else makes up your lawn — in my case, in addition to turf, there’s a lovely mix of moss, clover, dandelions, creeping Charlie and ajuga — occupy much of the space where other plants might establish themselves.

That doesn’t mean the lawn will be entirely weed-free. It means you can comfortably let go of some weeding work and stress in the name of embracing a wilder style.

I keep my bulb lawn tidier by planting it in a precise circle centered on an apple tree. As the bulbs grow, so does the grass. I mow around the edges, keeping a tidy line, and I love the way the contrast between the long grass and the short grass creates its own design feature.

I didn’t mow the grass until well into July because I loved the look so much. It made No Mow May an easy challenge, and the tall grass provided cover for wildlife.

(Weirdly, my dog seemed to love using this less tidy area more than the rest of the lawn, making his cleanup a little easier, too.)

Established bulb lawns can need very little supplemental water

You will need to water the bulbs after planting if the soil is dry. But once established, many spring bulbs require little supplemental irrigation in a climate with reliable fall, winter and spring moisture.

I never water mine. I live in not-so-dry New England.

In a drier climate, you’ll need to choose species suited to your conditions and pay closer attention to soil moisture, especially while bulbs are establishing. Good drainage is important, too. Bulbs generally don’t appreciate sitting in waterlogged soil.

How to Plant Bulbs Under Your Lawn – The Easy Way

There is an art to choosing the best place to grow a bulb lawn.

Choose a low-traffic area. Perhaps opt for the front lawn rather than the backyard if you have children or your lawn is used as a play area.

I chose an area around the base of an apple tree last year, and this year I repeated the idea of planting around a tree.

I added a baby dogwood tree to an open area of lawn and planted a similar-sized circle around the base of the tree.

In my case, I left a 2-foot radius around the trunk without bulbs, then extended the planting to a circle 12 feet from the base.

Areas beneath deciduous trees can be particularly good candidates becasue they are naturally low traffic and also they can often be areas where grass can be difficult to grow. The area receives more sunlight in early spring, before the trees leaf out, although root competition and drainage still matter.

Other possible locations include a hellstrip, or the edge between a wilder area and a more controlled lawn, over a spetic system (these are not deep growign plants) or beneath an orchard.

Avoid poorly draining spots. And before digging, check for buried utilities, irrigation lines and other underground infrastructure. I wouldn’t recommend a stinzen garden planting if the soil pH is strongly acidic or basic. (A bulb lawn will thrive in an area where the pH is close to neutral).

Step-by-step — Planting bulbs in existing grass

1. Lay out your planting area. Use a hose or a length of string to mark the boundary. I like a defined shape because it makes the planting look intentional, even when the flowers and grass are growing a little wild.

2. Scatter the bulbs. Arrange them in loose groups or drifts rather than evenly spaced rows. I mixed all my bulbs together first, then I literally tossed them out in handfuls as randomly as I could. Each pile might have a dozen or so different bulbs that will be buried at the same time.

3. Cut an opening in the turf. Use a sharp, straight-edged spade to cut a V or L shape in the grass. This creates a flap of turf that you can carefully lift or roll back.

4. Loosen the soil beneath. Use your spade or a hori hori knife to make room for the bulbs. Avoid cutting through major tree roots.

5. Plant at the appropriate depth. Follow the supplier’s instructions for each species. A common rule is to plant bulbs at roughly two to three times their height, but there are exceptions. Measure from the soil surface, not the top of the grass. Most of the bulbs I recommend for this are about the same size.

6. Replace the turf. Fold the grass back into place and press it down gently so the roots make good contact with the soil. Water if conditions are dry.

7. Mark the area. You’ll be glad you did when the bulbs disappear underground and you’re tempted to dig in the same spot again.

For larger installations, a turf cutter or bulb-planting auger may speed things up. Just remember that drilling through established turf can leave a surprising amount of soil and grass debris, and an auger isn’t a good choice around substantial tree roots.

When to Plant a bulb lawn

Fall is the usual planting season for spring-flowering bulbs.

As a general guide, plant when the soil has cooled but remains workable. In cold climates, that typically means September through November, depending on the weather and the species.

Don’t panic at the first frost. The ground doesn’t necessarily freeze when the air temperature dips below 32 degrees, and many bulbs can still be planted afterward.

In warmer climates, some bulbs require prechilling or won’t reliably return in subsequent years. Choose bulbs suited to your region rather than relying on hardiness zones alone.

These are the typical last planting times for planting zones across the continent:

• September to October — Zones 4 and 5
• October to early November — Zones 6 and 7
• November to early December — Zones 8 and 9
• Late December to early January — Zone 10

>>Google your zip code and the term ‘planting zone’ to confirm what zone you are in.

When Can You Mow a Bulb Lawn?

This is the question that determines whether a bulb lawn will work for you.

After flowering, bulbs need their leaves to continue photosynthesizing and replenishing the energy stored underground. Cutting the foliage while it’s still green can weaken the bulbs and reduce flowering in future years.

Wait until the leaves have naturally yellowed and begun dying back before mowing the planted area.

That might mean delaying the first cut well beyond your usual schedule. In my garden, I let the grass grow into July — partly for the bulbs, and partly because I liked it.

If you want a closely mown lawn by early May, a large naturalized bulb planting probably isn’t the right choice for that space. You could instead plant earlier-flowering species in smaller areas or choose a spot where longer grass is welcome.

I find that mowing a clean edge around the planting makes all the difference. The contrast between long grass and short grass tells people that the effect is intentional.

My Favorite Bulbs for Naturalizing in Lawns

These are some of the bulbs I’ve used or considered for naturalizing in grass. They differ in their tolerance for soil moisture, sunlight, competition and mowing, so choose according to your site.

• Snowdrops — Galanthus nivalis and other species. Very early white flowers that can naturalize in suitable, well-drained to moist soils.
• Winter aconite — Eranthis hyemalis. Bright yellow flowers in late winter or early spring. Often happiest in humus-rich soil beneath deciduous trees.
• Glory-of-the-snow — Scilla forbesii, often sold as Chionodoxa forbesii. Small, star-shaped flowers in blue and related shades. Check regional guidance before planting species that may spread beyond cultivation.
• Siberian squill — Scilla siberica. Beautiful blue flowers, but a plant I’d now approach cautiously. It spreads aggressively in some North American regions and can escape into natural areas. I wouldn’t recommend introducing it where it’s considered invasive.
• Dutch crocus — Crocus vernus and its cultivars. Larger spring crocuses available in a range of colors. Rodents can be a problem.
• Grecian windflower — Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’. Blue, daisy-like flowers that add a different texture to the planting.
• Grape hyacinth — Muscari armeniacum. Dense clusters of blue flowers. It can spread readily, so consider whether that suits your garden.
• Snake’s-head fritillary — Fritillaria meleagris. Checkerboard-patterned flowers that look wonderful among grasses. Unlike many other bulbs, these generally prefer soil that retains some moisture during the growing season.

You can also add species tulips and smaller daffodils.

I’ve chosen to leave those out of my planting because I already have plenty of large daffodils elsewhere in the garden, and I didn’t want to add another color — red — with the tulips.

My selection is mostly shades of yellow, blue, purple and white.

One other point worth making — naturalizing isn’t always synonymous with ecologically beneficial. Before planting a species that spreads freely, check whether it’s appropriate for your region, particularly if your property borders woodland or other natural areas.

The Right Tools Make Planting Easier

Having the right tools always makes the job easier.

I have a nice flat spade (like this one) that cuts the grass squarely, and I used a hori hori knife to help cut the turf as I rolled it back.

I suspect an actual turf cutting tool might have made it even easier.

For a small bulb lawn, though, you don’t need much more than a sharp spade, a hand tool for loosening soil and a little patience.

And once it’s planted, the reward arrives at exactly the time of year when you need it most — when winter seems determined to outstay its welcome.

For planting combinations and a more ambitious garden-design approach, see my stinzen garden experiment, inspired by the Dutch tradition of flowering lawns.

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This post is sponsored by Flowerbulbs.com.