Visitors to these plantings must strictly observe social distancing by maintaining six feet from others, no groups of any size, refrain from interacting with staff and exercise all necessary precautions to prevent spread of COVID-19.
From Bill Miller, director of Cornell’s Flower Bulb Research Program, and Professor Horticulture Section, School of Integrative Plant Science.
There’s nothing like blooming flower bulbs to lift your spirits during trying times.
Since 2017, Cornell’s Flower Bulb Research Program has installed numerous mass plantings of spring-flowering bulbs around Ithaca that will be blooming soon. We made these plantings as a way of generating interest in a novel machine that makes it easy to plant thousands of bulbs directly into turfgrass. You can see the machine in action in these videos from 2017 (Bulb planting made easy) and 2018 (8,000 bulbs planted in 11 minutes).
The backbone of most of these plantings are deer-resistant daffodils, which are great perennials and will last for many years. We selected other species to provide foraging opportunities for pollinators.
The plantings also reduce greenhouse gas emissions as they cannot be mowed until early June after the bulb foliage has withered.
We’ve installed other, much larger plantings with public and private partners on Long Island, and increasingly, throughout the state.
Plantings in Ithaca include:
Several locations in Cornell Botanical Gardens:
- A one-meter wide strip along the edge of the bioswale near Nevin Center parking lot off Arboretum Road. Mixed bulbs from Crocus to Allium.
- R. Newmann Arboretum. From Caldwell Road, turn into the arboretum, park in area to the left. Planting is a double row going up the rise into the meadow. Allium and Nectaroscordum bulbs flower in June, attracting an amazing density of bees and other pollinators).
- A strip in front of the McClintock Shed on Arboretum Road includes later-flowering Camassia
Other locations:
- In front of the Foundation Seed Barn near the intersection of Rt. 366 and Game Farm Road. Five strips each featuring a different mix.
- Along the north side of Rt. 366 between Guterman Greenhouses and Triticum Drive. Mixed planting of tulips, daffodils, Crocus and others.
- Newman Golf Course along Pier Road and the walking path. A very long strip with mixed planting of daffodils, Crocus, Scilla, Muscari, and Alliums.