Crocuses in Bloom

Crocuses blooming in this Bala Cynwyd lawn are absolutely eye-catching.

I never really noticed this lawn or landscape before. It was mostly just a house on a street that I would pass by on my day-to-day driving. These crocuses literally stopped me in my tracks. The time between seeing them from my truck, pulling over, parking, and getting out to take some photos was less than a minute.

That seems reflective of what crocuses do in the landscape. They catch your eye quickly. They bloom in a beautiful flash, or in spurts based on the weather. Some years they feel perfectly aligned with gorgeous spring weather; other years they are fighting it out with snow.

As a designer focusing on low-maintenance landscapes and native plants, these crocuses brought up some new ideas for me.

What role could smaller, early-season bulbs play in the landscape?

Could they be used to add a new dynamic to lawn areas in spring, framing pathways or views of the home?

How could they blur the lines between lawn and planted areas?

Whatever the shifting weather offers each spring, crocuses provide the potential for a beautiful flash of color weeks before hyacinths, daffodils and tulips emerge.

They are beautiful and worth considering in landscape designs.