East Suffolk Blooms which encourages people to grow beautiful, pollinator-friendly wildflowers, has returned for 2024.
Each year, East Suffolk Council distributes free packs of bulbs to town and parish councils, community groups and organisations to plant locally as part of the East Suffolk Blooms campaign.
And the planting efforts of last year’s successful applicants are already being rewarded with colourful narcissus displays.
This time, in tandem with the East Suffolk’s Amazing project to promote an all-round effort to keeping the district clean and attractive, and in order to provide greater benefit to pollinators, East Suffolk Council will be offering blends of native bulbs that appeal particularly to bees and butterflies.
Packs of bulbs will be available to collect in the autumn, around October, from two locations in the district.
A ‘Bees Mix’ of bulbs flowers from February to May and includes crocuses, chionodoxas, scillas, muscaris and naturalising tulips, while the ‘Butterfly Mix’ flowers between May and July and comprises camassias, nectaroscordums, irises and alliums.
An application form will be available to complete online until 30 June, before a judging panel meets to decide the successful applicants, with additional consideration given to groups reapplying after missing out last year. Applicants will then be informed of the decision by August.