Why Early Spring Bulbs Matter

By late February, most of us are longing for colour. But for a queen bumblebee emerging from hibernation, the first crocus is not a pretty sight — it is a lifeline. She has spent the winter underground and needs nectar and pollen immediately to fuel her search for a nesting site. Honeybees appear on mild days and solitary bees are waking. In this lean window, a few flowering bulbs can make the difference between a colony founding successfully and one that fails.

There is a bonus for bird lovers, too. Early nectar brings insects into the garden, and insects are exactly what blue tits, great tits and robins need to feed their chicks a few weeks later. A border that feeds bees in March is quietly feeding nestlings in May.

Choosing the Best Early Bulbs

Not all bulbs are equal when it comes to early nectar. Some highly bred daffodils are practically useless to insects, because their pollen and nectar have been sacrificed for looks. Stick with simple, single-flowered forms.

• Crocus — the best early source. Crocus tommasinianus, the pale lavender "Tommy", naturalises freely in grass and is rarely touched by squirrels.
• Snowdrops (Galanthus) — long-lasting nectar, though you need decent numbers to make a difference. Galanthus nivalis is cheap and spreads well.
• Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) — a little golden sun on a dark day, and a magnet for early bees.
• Early single daffodils — small-flowered types such as Narcissus "February Gold" or "Tête-à-Tête" are far more useful than big doubles.
• Squill and grape hyacinth — Scilla siberica and Muscari extend the season into April.

Buy bulbs in early autumn and choose firm, heavy ones. Avoid bargains that feel hollow or soft — they rarely flower.

Planting in Drifts Among Grass

Nothing looks more natural than a drift of crocus threaded through lawn, and it is genuinely easy. Plant in generous, irregular patches rather than neat lines: scatter a handful of bulbs and plant them where they land.

The simplest method is to lift a flap of turf with a spade, tuck the bulbs underneath at the right depth, and press the turf back down. The roots establish through the winter and the grass hides the evidence.

Plant at roughly three times the height of the bulb: crocus at 8cm, snowdrops at 10cm, daffodils at 15cm. Space them two bulb-widths apart so they have room to multiply. Add a handful of horticultural grit to the base if your soil is heavy clay, plus a sprinkle of bulb fertiliser.

Then leave them be. Do not mow until the foliage has yellowed and collapsed, usually about six weeks after flowering. Cut the leaves early and the bulb cannot store energy for next year. Mark the patch with a few small canes so you remember where it is.

Bulbs in Patio Containers

If you garden on a balcony or in a small courtyard, containers are ideal — and they warm up faster than the ground, so bulbs often flower a week or two earlier.

Use a peat-free multipurpose compost with a handful of grit for drainage, and make sure the pot has crocks or holes at the base. You can layer bulbs for a longer display: daffodils deepest, then muscari, then crocus or snowdrops on top. Water them in, then keep the pot cool and sheltered over winter.

Come February, move the containers to a sunny spot near the house where you can watch the bees arrive. Keep them watered in dry spells, but never waterlogged. Once the foliage dies back, plant the bulbs out in the garden or top-dress the pot with fresh compost.

The Wildlife Payoff

A garden with early bulbs becomes a staging post for the season ahead. Queen bumblebees will visit a crocus for as long as it takes to warm up, and you may spot them resting on the petals in the sun. Solitary bees work the snowdrops, and the first honeybees of the year appear on mild, still days.

That activity ripples upwards. Blue tits, great tits and coal tits time their breeding so their chicks hatch when caterpillars are abundant, and a garden with healthy insect numbers supports them. Robins and dunnocks will pick through the soil where you have been planting, and leaving the grass long around your drifts gives insects somewhere to shelter overnight.

To go further, pair your bulbs with a shallow dish of water and an early-flowering shrub such as winter honeysuckle or willow, whose catkins are full of pollen.

Keeping the Display Going

The real joy of bulbs is that they improve with time — but only if you let them. Resist the urge to tidy up too quickly in spring. Leave the foliage to yellow and collapse on its own, because this is the plant feeding the bulb for next year. Once it has gone straw-coloured, you can mow or cut back.

After a few years, clumps of crocus and snowdrops become congested and flower less freely. Lift and divide them in early summer, when the leaves have died back, and replant the offsets elsewhere. It is a free way to expand your drifts and share a few with a neighbour.

Finally, think about succession. Bulbs are the opening act, but they need the rest of the garden to follow. Plan for hellebores, pulmonaria, wallflowers and primroses in April, then leave a few seedheads standing for the birds in autumn. A wildlife garden is really a series of small, well-timed kindnesses — and it all begins with a bag of bulbs in September.