Funded through the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund, community groups across Aberdeenshire planted pollinator-friendly and site-suitable bulbs on council land to be managed by its landscape services.
Initially, the greenspace officers' target was to plant 75,000 bulbs in time for spring, but there was such demand for the project that 317,454 bulbs were ultimately planted.
The flowers will bloom in stages, adding colour to the area and helping pollinators like bees and butterflies survive via connected sources of pollen and nectar throughout the flowering season.
Pollinating insects are essential to healthy and biodiverse ecosystems, supporting a wide range of invertebrates, birds, and small mammals. They have a key role in the reproduction of many plant species and one out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on pollinators such as bees (WWF.org.uk).
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The first flowers will appear this month and into March, when Snowdrops, Winter Aconite, and Crocus bloom. Then more blossom from...
April to May: Wild garlic (Ramsons), Wood Anemone, and Scilla
May to June: Wild Daffodil, Grape Hyacinth, Bluebell, Wild Tulip, Hardy Cyclamen, and Snake's Head Fritillary
June to July: Allium, and Camassia
September to October: Autumn Crocus
To know where to visit the flowers as they bloom across the year—as well as see the various community groups that planted them—head to the Big Bulb Plant map at bit.ly/BigBulbPlant2023Map
The Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund encourages projects that restore wildlife and habitats—on land and sea—while addressing biodiversity loss and climate change.
The council's greenspace officers are keen to hear from community groups with ideas around how else local greenspace areas can be developed. Simply get in touch via greenspace@aberdeenshire.gov.uk to share your ideas.
Councillor Sarah Dickinson, Chair of Aberdeenshire Council's Sustainability Committee, said: "Enhancing biodiversity and supporting our pollinators in our public greenspace is so important —particularly since many pollinator species have been in decline for the last 50 years. So, thank you to all the community groups involved for their valuable contribution to the Big Bulb Plant."
Vice Chair Councillor Jim Gifford said: "It is exciting to see so many communities across Aberdeenshire getting involved in such a fantastic project that will brighten our towns throughout the year. To have exceeded the planting target by so much shows how dramatic the results can be when community groups and the council collaborate on improving greenspaces."
