The importance of Spring Bulbs

It’s February when our sleepy parks spring into life with non apologetic colour! The efforts of volunteers finally gets rewarded for the hours of back ache grafting. Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs!

But their importance is more than just aesthetic. Much more.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) views spring-flowering bulbs as a vital, highvalue food lifeline that supports emerging pollinators when other garden resources are scarce.

Their key biodiversity benefits include early nectar and pollen: Spring bulbs provide some of the earliest food supplies for hungry bees, butterflies, and hoverflies waking from winter hibernation.

They create naturalistic habitats. Planting bulbs in lawns or grass creates structural diversity and transforms uniform turf into a richer wildlife habitat.

In the boroughs parks and green spaces planting has focused on early Crocus, which blooms from Feb–Mar and help queen bumblebees. They grow really well in our sunny parklands.

Snowdrops also feature and bloom in Jan–Feb. They feed winter bees. And they’re great in our shaded tree areas.

And Wild Daffodils They extend the bloom season from March into April. Their simple shape allows easy insect access.

Did you know… volunteers and Friends Groups have planted over 170,000 bulbs over the last 5 years. 

And will be planting even more this autumn!

- Cllr Andrew Jenner