University of Kent and JUB Holland rethink what bulbs can do in grass

University of Kent and JUB Holland rethink what bulbs can do in grass

Last autumn, JUB Holland’s bulb planting machine moved steadily along Eliot footpath at the University of Kent. Within just a few hours, 60,000 bulbs were planted beneath the grass along one of the busiest walking routes on the campus. Early spring, the transformation became visible. Daffodils were first to emerge, followed by tulips, camassias and alliums. And now, as summer gives way to autumn and the campus community returns for the new academic year, crocus and colchicum bring the flowering season back to life.

The planting forms part of The River, a two-kilometre trail created for the University’s 60th anniversary and celebrating six decades of growth across its distinctive parkland campus. The bulb scheme adds a new seasonal dimension to that story – one designed to deliver much more than a burst of spring colour. At an early stage of the project, the scheme was visualised using JUB Holland’s FlowerDesigner App, helping to explore how the planting would work along Eliot footpath and how the flowering sequence would unfold through the seasons.

Flowering beyond spring

JUB Holland’s Kent Mixture provided a fitting starting point for the project – not least because of its name. Its succession of spring-flowering bulbs already creates a long and varied display from March to June. For the University of Kent, the mixture was taken a step further with the addition of autumn-flowering crocus and colchicum, extending both the flowering season and the visual impact well beyond spring – all mechanically planted in one go.

The colour palette shifts with it: from fresh whites, yellows and reds early in the season to cooler purples and blues towards summer, before soft lilac and white return in autumn. Rather than one concentrated display, the planting creates a sequence of distinctly different seasonal scenes along the route.

For the hundreds of students, staff and visitors using Eliot footpath every day, that means a landscape that continues to change and surprise. For pollinators, it means a succession of flowering plants at key points in the season, including periods when other food sources are scarce.

Emily Mason, sustainability officer (biodiversity and natural spaces), University of Kent, says:

“The River is about celebrating the plant communities that make our campus distinctive. The bulb planting brings a strong seasonal experience to one of our busiest routes and helps us extend the flowering opportunities available for pollinators across the year.”

The bulbs sit alongside ancient woodland, grassland meadows, orchards and ornamental trees, adding a new flowering element to an already varied network of habitats.

A mixture shaped by the site

Successful bulb planting begins with understanding the landscape it has to work in. For JUB Holland, species selection goes far beyond colour. Soil conditions, grass growth, flowering period, long-term performance and the mowing regime all influence the final mixture. At Kent, the brief combined three clear ambitions: a long flowering season, lasting value for pollinators and a planting that works with less intensive grass management.

Job van Eeden, sales manager, JUB Holland UK, says:

“The strongest bulb schemes start with the site. We look at when colour is needed, how the planting can support pollinators, which bulbs will perform well in grass and how the area needs to be managed afterwards. That is what turns a bulb mixture into a landscape solution.”

The autumn-flowering species are an important part of that thinking. Rather than allowing the display to finish in June, they bring renewed colour and flowering later in the year, when fewer plants may be in bloom elsewhere.

For the latest industry news visit landscapingmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Landscaping Matters