Bulb Planting Planner UK

Not sure how many daffodils, tulips or crocuses to buy? Our free bulb planting planner helps you plan a spring display before you start digging. Measure a border, bed or area of lawn, choose your bulbs and decide whether to plant in natural drifts, groups or an even pattern.

The planner creates an overhead planting plan, works out bulb quantities, spacing and depths, and helps you calculate how many packs to buy. Save or print your plan and take it into the garden. No account needed. Naturalised layouts are illustrative, and the recommended depths and spacing are starting points to check against your bulb supplier’s advice.

How to use the bulb planting planner

1. Measure the area. Enter the length and depth of a rectangular border, the diameter of a circular bed or your lawn dimensions. If you only know the area in square metres, the tool can calculate quantities without drawing an exact layout.
2. Choose your bulbs. Select from daffodils, tulips, crocuses, alliums, camassias and other spring bulbs, or start with a suggested mix.
3. Pick a planting style. Choose naturalised drifts for an informal look, clumps for mixed borders or even planting for a formal display.
4. Explore the plan. Check the overhead layout, approximate positions, numbers and flowering sequence. For drifts and groups, regenerate the arrangement if you want another option.
5. Prepare your shopping list. Enter the packet sizes and prices offered by your supplier. Save the plan, download it or print your planting guide.

Worked examples for UK gardens

Tulips and grape hyacinths in a small border

A border measuring 4 m by 1.5 m has an area of 6 m². With the planner set to balanced spacing and clumps, one example uses 18 garden tulips towards the back and 75 grape hyacinths towards the front. This leaves space between the groups for existing perennials. Quantities change when you adjust the planting style, spacing or proportions.

Naturalised daffodils in a lawn

For a 10 m by 5 m lawn, naturalised drifts using half the area and standard daffodils at an open spacing of 15 cm give an estimate of about 556 bulbs. That creates a substantial display. For a smaller budget, reduce the area you plan to cover or enter a fixed number of bulbs and let the planner arrange them. Remember that daffodil foliage needs time to die back before the grass is cut.

Buying bulbs in packets

If you need 83 bulbs and your supplier sells packs of 25, you need four packets. That means 100 bulbs purchased and 17 spare. The planner keeps the quantity required separate from the quantity purchased, and calculates an estimated cost when you enter your own prices.

How many bulbs should you plant per square metre?

There is no single correct number for every bulb. Small crocuses can be planted much closer together than large ornamental alliums, while natural drifts need gaps between groups. Even rows can hold far more bulbs than an established herbaceous border with other plants already growing. The planner uses species specific spacing and lets you adjust density to suit the effect you want.

When and how deep should spring bulbs be planted?

Most spring flowering bulbs are planted in autumn, but timing varies. Daffodils, crocuses and many alliums are usually planted earlier in autumn, while November is generally preferred for garden tulips. Snowdrops are different: freshly lifted clumps and plants bought in the green can establish better than dry bulbs.

For many bulbs, a useful starting point is a planting hole around two to three times the bulb height, measured from the soil surface to the base of the bulb. There are important exceptions, so follow the recommendation for the particular bulb and check its packaging. Soil conditions matter too. Most spring bulbs dislike ground that remains waterlogged.

Questions gardeners ask

Can I use the planner for an existing flower border?

Yes. Clumps and groups are a good starting point when planting among existing perennials. Remember that the planner does not know where your established plants or buried obstacles are, so treat its suggested positions as a guide and adjust the layout on the ground.

Does the planner show the exact spot for every bulb?

Even planting and clump layouts use scaled positions. Naturalised drifts are intentionally illustrative. For a natural look, use the general drift shapes and numbers, scatter the bulbs within each area and adjust any that fall too close together.

Can I plant spring bulbs in my lawn?

Yes. Daffodils, crocuses and several other smaller bulbs work well in grass. Choose bulbs that suit your mowing routine and soil. Leave the grass uncut for at least six weeks after flowering and ideally until the foliage has turned yellow and straw like. For more advice, read our guide to naturalising spring bulbs.

How many bulbs do I need for a dense display?

That depends on the species, spacing and how much of the area is available. Try the dense planting option for a fuller display, but remember that evenly planted bulbs can leave little room for established shrubs and perennials.

Can I plan an irregular border or bulbs in pots?

The current planner draws rectangular and circular areas to scale. You can enter the area of an irregular border to calculate approximate quantities, but it cannot draw its precise outline. Bulb layering in pots is not included in this version.

Will the planting dates work everywhere in the UK?

The guidance is intended for gardens across the UK. Actual planting and flowering times vary with the weather, soil and location. Use the dates as a seasonal guide rather than a fixed timetable.

Can I save or print my planting plan?

Yes. You can save a plan in your own browser, download a planting diagram or shopping list and print the planting guide. Saved plans stay on the device you used, so they will not automatically appear on another phone or computer.

Preparing a new bed for bulbs

Good planting starts with suitable soil. If you need compost or topsoil for a new border, our Garden Materials Calculator can help you work out the quantities before ordering. For more advice on drainage and growing conditions, see our guide to soil structure.

For independent advice on planting in grass, see the RHS guidance on naturalising bulbs.