It seems every landscape site has a “thing” it is known for. Intentional by the Grounds team or not, this "thing" is usually something our patrons identify and bond with. It can be the play of the course, the design of the gardens, the maintenance regime or something else. Flower bulbs are a thing that many of our operations undertake. Bulbs have relatively low resource entry point, are proven performers with little preparation, and have broad appeal. But when even homeowners employ a gardening tactic, how does my site differentiate. Ant even more importantly, how can my site differentiate from other professionals. Can we?

SOP
Tulips, and other spring flowering bulbs, are a mainstay for most landscapes. They are installed in fall and flower the following spring. The most common bulbs are tulips and daffodils, but can include crocus, hyacinth, plus spring planted bulbs such as lily. They can be planted in a variety of ways whether formally in rows, or informally in drifts, alone or in complement to other plants. Here at KU Darwin hybrid tulips were traditionally planted in large uniform color blocks in predictable shapes. This resulted in quite impactful floral displays that garnered much appreciation. These displays lasted for 2-3 weeks and were commonly used as backdrops for graduation pictures. After flowering, bulbs were removed to create space for installation of summer annuals. The spent bulbs were sold as could be at significant discount, given away, or disposed of. 

The Proposal
The tulips here at KU met expectations and the university community knew what to expect. The approach was conservative and consistent. These displays were proven but predictable. While sometimes this is acceptable, the results were delivering diminishing returns. Fortunately, this commonplace approach left a lot of possibilities for improvement on the table.

In fall 2022, we made a strategic choice to try to expand the performance of our tulip protocol. The first step was expanding the possible types of tulips. No longer would we only use exclusively Darwin hybrid. We also looked for long-lasting mixes that could extend the bloom period. The most apparent change though was opening the color palette. No longer would only yellow and red be the default as in the recent past. Another aspect was the use of doubles, parrots and fringed bulbs. By coupling these expanded floral attributes with a well-executed design, we ensure display performance and increase aesthetic output. Perhaps the most impactful was simply the novelty of changing from what was expected. We did not share our ideas with the campus and therefore it was quite a happy surprise for our community.

In Fall of 2023 we took the design a step further with the introduction of daffodils to our designs. Daffodils extend the bloom period even farther than tulips alone and add another texture to our displays. Once again, we chose to go beyond the standard yellow trumpets and include a wide variety of daffodil cultivars. I am sure we are not the first location to mix daffs and tulips, but in my experience, it is not a common practice.

Results
Like so many of our efforts in grounds management, implementation of a new process or objective must be measured by tangible results. I am very happy, and a bit relieved, to report that our bulb program is a resounding success. As the 2025 spring bulb season ends, we have now had two years of beautiful, long lasting displays. Our university community, which for a long period looked forward to recognizable designs, has embraced our new displays. We were prepared for some opposition, but if it happened, it never made it to Grounds Crew ears. It appears that the university is happy to see reasonable change in the pursuit of improving deliverables, and understands we make these decisions in the best interest of all.

Next Step
Grounds management and landscape design is a constantly evolving and competitive profession. Keeping abreast of emerging trends is smart business. Successful operations know which trends to incorporate and which ones are more a fad. Establishing your own trend is even better. Here at KU a vibrant bulb display is one of the things we want to highlight. We are now considering how we can push our efforts even further. First, we will continue to get our bulb mix right by experimenting and keeping proven performers. In several beds we will not remove spent bulbs but will interplant with perennials to try to get self-replenishing displays that could be rotated out after several years. Lastly, we will also be forthright in sharing these efforts via social media. By incorporating a dynamic bulb display, we set a tempo for other areas of our operation and tell our community we are striving to be our best. And that is an idea worth planting.