New bulb meadow brightens University Parks

A beautiful new meadow is now in bloom in University Parks, alongside the Science Area. In late autumn 2025, almost 140,000 bulbs were planted, including anemones, chionodoxa, crocuses, dwarf irises, grape hyacinths and scillas. Thanks to the warm sunshine in mid March, all the flowers have come out at once, creating a stunning display of blue and purple.

To plant so many bulbs, a special tractor with a modified hopper on the back was used. This machine cuts a one metre wide strip of turf, folds it back, drops in the bulbs, then replaces and rolls the turf all in a single pass. This method allows thousands of bulbs to be planted at the correct depth and very quickly.

Planting the new bulb meadow

The new meadow has been funded through the project to refurbish the Sherrington Building. A site compound has been located in the Parks for the past 18 months, and once the project finishes and the hoardings taken away, even more bulb planting will take place.

When the flowering season ends and the leaves have died back, the area will then be cut for the summer. This ensures it can continue to be used as a popular picnic spot under the trees.

The flower meadow is part of the Parks team’s ongoing work to make University Parks more biodiverse and welcoming for both people and wildlife and the flowers are already attracting lots of bumblebees.  

Visitors are encouraged to come and enjoy the display before it fades.