The gardens at Le Grys Farm are a haven for wildlife and a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the view. An owl swoops low over the fields, hares race across the farm track and on a clear night, the vast Norfolk sky shimmers with stars. Painted by artists; studied by historians; and loved by anyone who treasures wildlife, Le Grys Farm is a very special place indeed.

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Designing with Bulbs

Along the roadside by Le Grys Farm, primroses nestle in grassy banks and quietly proclaim the arrival of spring. They seed themselves freely along the lanes and have made a home in the Farmhouse Garden. 


Narcissus 'Bestseller' in Le Grys Farmhouse Garden

I love to see lawns studded with flowers, especially in spring. Every year I add a few more bulbs to the collection. Last autumn it was the turn of Fritillaria meleagris, which I planted in the orchard. The flowers are now beginning to emerge through the grass under the apple trees, compelling me to amble down to the orchard to drink coffee and drool over their daintiness instead of getting on with all the things I am supposed to be doing.


Fritillaria meleagris

The lawn bulb display starts with snowdrops and Crocus tomassinianus and continues through until late spring when English bluebells flower in the grass under the trees in the Barn Garden. 

Crocus tommasinianus in the Farmhouse Garden

Snowdrops and bluebells spread at will, but elsewhere spring flowers are used to create a more choreographed effect. I am a massive fan of using bulbs to create a temporary structural element in a lawn. It seems to redesign the garden for a few weeks before the grass returns to its day job as a foil to vibrant planting in the borders and a sound base for a game of football, cricket or rounders. In the Farmhouse Garden, Narcissus 'Bestseller' is arranged to emphasise the curve of one lawn, whereas elsewhere it is used to lead the eye to the gate and out across the field to the horse chestnut tree.

Le Grys Farmhouse Garden

Of course, the downside of bulbs is that we should leave their foliage to die back naturally. I prefer to see bulb leaves in grass rather than the borders. I keep some areas of lawn free from bulbs and mow these as I enjoy the contrast between mown and uncut areas. This effect is heightened as there is sufficient space to pass a lawnmower between groups of bulbs, allowing me to mow a temporary path between them. 

Primroses on the roadside

Using early flowering bulbs means that the lawn reverts to normal long before I have grown tired of the bulb foliage; and placing spring bulbs in a small area rather than dotted across the grass gives the flowers greater impact and reduces the space required for the leaves once the flowers have faded. But why focus on the end of the spring bulb season now, when the best is yet to come? I had better grab a coffee and get on with the urgent business of fritillary-gazing.  

Sarah

15 comments:

  1. I'm thinking of planting some crocuses in our lawn - when are you able to cut grass with crocuses growing

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    1. Welcome Sue! You are the first person ever to comment on this blog - thank you! We will cut our crocus lawn around mid-late April.

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  2. Thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog, if you add the ‘Followers’ to your site I will be able to add your blog, I don’t use Google+.

    Is this your garden you are writing about? I always draw a sigh of relief when the crocuses and daffodils start to flower, finally it is spring!

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    1. Hi Helene - welcome! I am writing about the gardens here. The photos were mainly taken in the Farmhouse Garden, with the exception of the fritillary in our orchard and the last photo of primroses which was taken on the roadside as we turn along the track to Le Grys Farm.

      I thought they had stopped doing 'Followers', but I was wrong. It is now added to the side bar. Thanks for alerting me to this.

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  3. What a very special place you have! I love the way you have planted bulbs amidst the grass. And how well I know that trip to the garden with a cup of coffee! Nothing is more relaxing, unless I see a tiny chore which I must attend to. Then I sit my coffee cup down only for a moment, except that one tiny chore leads to the next, and an hour later I return to a cold cup of coffee filled with bugs!

    Also, thank you for visiting my blog and taking time to comment!

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    1. Hi - welcome - and thank you! We do love it here. I have a couple of coffee mugs with lids. I think that's what you need - preferably something like a thermos flask to keep that coffee warm while you get sidetracked. Thank you for visiting me back and commenting, I really appreciate it.

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  4. I also like the look of early spring bulbs blooming in lawns. Scilla sibirica is another good bulb for this kind of use.

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    1. Oh yes - Scilla sibirica would look wonderful. One to add to the lawn list!

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  5. I would love to plug my front lawn with crocus bulbs. Their leaves are so short they would blend with the grass as they faded. It would be such a pretty way to welcome spring. Something to think about for this fall... :o)

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    1. It is a great way to welcome spring - and to give the bees a treat. It looks like we are both already compiling next autumn's shopping list.

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  6. I forgot to add that your bulb filled lawn is a beauty! :o) It's so cheerful.

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  7. Love the daffodil bunches, especially against the backdrop of the branches of the trees. Spring is lovely over your way.

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    1. It is lovely here in springtime - and this spring is particularly good for birds and butterflies. I can't seem to get anything done as I am constantly running indoors for my camera.

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    2. Sarah, for years I have been tempted to plant Spring bulbs in an area of the Lawn. Never did get around to doing it and now having moved house and have a much smaller lawn you may think I am now put off, but, no, I will do it.
      We planted a whole lot of these Fritillaria a couple of years ago, they will be sure to find a place in our new garden.

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