This formula – the “Spring Meadow” – has actually been realized at Keukenhof gardens in Lisse. Keukenhof is the largest flower bulb display in the world. In April and May, 7.million flower bulbs cover this large site to the delight of thousands of visitors every year. At a number of sunny places in the lawn, wave-shaped areas were cut out of the sod to a depth of more than 4 inches. These shapes were filled with sharp sand that was then mixed together with the soil below and above it. This created perfect spots to plant small flower bulbs for naturalizing: over a surface of around 600 square yards, 55,000 flower bulbs composed of 35 different kinds were mixed and scattered and then planted by hand. At Keukenhof, the planting of these flower bulbs was also accompanied by the sowing of a flower meadow seed mix so that the flower bulbs would emerge among a haze of herbaceous plants that would then provide weeks of color once the flower bulb flowers had faded. Any bulbous plants suitable for naturalizing that also have a more or less “uncultivated” look can be included in this kind of mixture. The flower bulbs used for the Spring Meadow at Keukenhof were distributed at a rate of approximately 180 bulbs/square yard and were made up of the following varieties:

• Bellevalia pycnantha
• Chionodoxa forbesii
• Chionodoxa luciliae
• Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’
• Crocus tommasinianus ‘Whitewell Purple’
• Leucojum aestivum ‘Graveteye Giant’
• Muscari aucheri ‘Blue Magic’
• Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’
• Narcissus ‘Jack Snipe’
• Narcissus ‘Jetfire’
• Narcissus poeticus recurvus
• Narcissus ‘Topol’
• Ornithogalum umbellatum
• Scilla siberica
• Tulipa bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’
• Tulipa clusiana
• Tulipa clusiana ‘Lady Jane’
• Tulipa linifolia
• Tulipa tarda
• Tulipa urumiensis