From compact verges to sweeping estates – efficient planting at any scale.

As autumn approaches, local authorities, estate managers, landscape architects and contractors prepare for another planting season. Across the UK, demand for naturalising bulb displays is growing – vibrant verges, biodiverse parks and colourful public spaces that delight communities year after year. Yet bulb planting at scale – whether along a verge, across a park lawn or throughout an estate – comes with its own challenges: time pressure, labour costs, and the need to minimise disruption to the landscape. That is where mechanical planting proves its worth.

FROM DUTCH PIONEERS TO UK PRACTICE

Over 25 years ago, JUB Holland introduced the very first bulb planting machine – pioneering a method that has since become the gold standard for professional bulb planting, from modest public spaces to extensive landscapes. What began as a practical solution to the labour-intensive nature of bulb planting has evolved into a refined system that balances efficiency, sustainability, and design.

Today, JUB brings this expertise to the UK in collaboration with our partner Beechwood Industries LTD, offering a fast, efficient, and precise way to plant millions of bulbs every season. Each autumn, the team and machine travel the UK – from city parks in England to the rolling hills of Wales and the rugged landscapes of Scotland – planting bulbs with precision and care. With the capacity to plant up to 25,000 bulbs per hour, the machines combine speed with accuracy. Bulbs are placed directly under the turf, the surface sward is neatly restored, and disruption to soil and surrounding vegetation is kept to a minimum, depending on soil conditions.

For public landscapes, this means less disturbance, lower labour costs and a clean, professional result – one that allows naturalised bulb schemes to establish successfully and deliver lasting seasonal colour.

Mechanical Planting: A Smart Solution for Parks, Verges and Estates

The UK’s public and private landscapes are under increasing pressure. Local authorities are tasked with achieving more impact with fewer resources, while simultaneously meeting ambitious biodiversity and climate goals. At the same time, country estates, heritage gardens and private landowners are seeking ways to enhance visitor experience and strengthen their ecological value.

Naturalised bulb planting offers an answer: it extends the flowering season, supports pollinators, and enhances community wellbeing through visible greening. Yet realising these schemes at scale can be daunting. Hand planting tens of thousands of bulbs is time-consuming and costly. Parks staff and estate teams, already stretched with routine maintenance, rarely have the capacity to dedicate weeks to bulb planting.
Mechanical planting overcomes these barriers:

• Efficiency – Areas – from small verges to sweeping lawns – that would take weeks to plant by hand can be completed in a single day.
• Minimal disruption – Grass is lifted and restored in one smooth motion, keeping sites safe and accessible.
• Flexibility – Planting can follow precise design schemes, from bold swathes to carefully composed mixes.
• Biodiversity – Specialised bulb mixes provide a stable food supply and habitat for pollinators, extending ecological value from early spring into summer.
• Cost-effectiveness – By saving time and labour while keeping sites accessible, mechanical planting delivers greater value for every budget.

From Turf to Bloom: The Planting Journey

Even before the machine arrives, JUB Holland carefully surveys each site. Soil type, light conditions and landscape character are all taken into account, allowing the specialists to select and tailor creative bulb mixtures to suit the location. A typical day of mechanical planting begins with careful site assessment. Soil depth and turf quality are checked to ensure optimal conditions. The machine – a compact tractor with planting unit – is loaded with bulbs. As it moves forward, vertical blades gently slice the turf, lifting it just enough for the planting shoes to create a furrow. Bulbs drop precisely into place via conveyor belts before the turf is folded back and rolled flat.

Did you know: Bulbs find their way to the surface themselves, even when they are upside-down!

Job van Eeden – sales manager at JUB Holland UK, explains:

“The result is immediate without visible disturbance. The grass remains intact, ready to root again within days, while the bulbs beneath begin their silent preparation for spring. Because the process is minimally invasive, it not only protects the bulbs but also preserves soil ecosystems – a point increasingly valued in sustainable landscape management.”

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Milton Keynes: Planting for peak season

A striking example can be found at Willen Lake, where JUB Holland carried out a large-scale project for the Milton Keynes Parks Trust. The challenge here lay not only in the scale of the work, but also in the timing. Rather than opting for an early spring display, the team curated a bulb mix designed to flower later in the season – perfectly in sync with the park’s visitor peak. The selection included Narcissus recurvus, various Allium varieties and Camassias, delivering waves of white, purple, and blue tones just as footfall reached its highest.

“In a couple of hours, the machine planted tens of thousands of bulbs seamlessly across meadows and lakeside lawns. What would have taken weeks of manual labour was completed in a fraction of the time, with a small crew and minimal disturbance to the park.” says Luke Nixon, Area Landscape Manager at The Parks Trust. “Turf was lifted, bulbs precisely placed beneath the surface, and the sward restored immediately – leaving no visible trace of the work carried out.”

For Milton Keynes Parks Trust, this efficiency was crucial: planting could be carried out without park closures, heavy disruption or large teams. The precision of the machines also ensured that the bulb mix was planted at the right depth and density throughout, guaranteeing a uniform and professional result across the rolling terrain.

“The impact has been fantastic – the timing of the flowering really matched the needs of our site,” adds Luke Nixon. “We could welcome our visitors with an extended, colourful display that felt perfectly integrated into the park’s natural rhythm.”

This project illustrates a key advantage of mechanical planting with JUB Holland: not only efficiency in execution, but also precision in bloom timing, thanks to JUB’s deep expertise in bulb mixes and flowering succession. The ability to match bloom peaks with community use adds significant value – transforming bulb planting from an aesthetic gesture into a strategic design tool.

Spring and Summer – Year-Round Possibilities

Mechanical planting is not limited to spring bulbs alone. The same method can be applied to summer-flowering bulbs, extending seasonal interest well beyond spring. With this approach, parks, estates and public spaces can be quickly transformed into vibrant summer displays – planted with the same speed, efficiency and minimal disruption as spring bulb schemes. For country estates, land managers and designers, it opens the door to year-round colour highlights that keep landscapes attractive throughout the calendar.

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SPREADING COLOUR ACROSS THE UK

The success at Willen Lake is part of a broader trend. Across the UK, councils are recognising the value of naturalised bulb planting in roadside verges, parks and civic spaces. Country estates and heritage gardens are also adopting the technique to animate large parklands and create memorable visitor experiences.

What once might have been a strip of mown grass can now become a seasonal attraction – offering colour, ecological benefits, and civic pride with minimal ongoing maintenance. With urban areas seeking cost-effective greening solutions and new biodiversity targets shaping policy, the role of naturalised bulb displays is set to grow.

Mechanical planting makes this possible at any scale – whether a compact verge, a park meadow, or a country estate. For contractors, this means opportunities to deliver impactful projects efficiently; for councils and estate managers, it means making the most of limited budgets while achieving visible results.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING

While mechanical planting accelerates the process on site, planning and ordering ahead remain crucial. Bulbs need time to root before winter sets in, ensuring robust growth and reliable flowering. Ordering early also allows greater availability of specific bulb varieties and flexibility: with the UK’s weather becoming increasingly unpredictable, having bulbs in hand provides room to adjust schedules around wet spells or cold snaps.

Job van Eeden points out:

“Our experience shows: on time ordering is on time planting. By planning ahead, councils, contractors and estate managers not only secure their preferred mixes or specific varieties, but also safeguard the best possible results on the ground.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Mechanical planting has come a long way since its Dutch origins over two decades ago. What once was a niche technique is now an essential tool in sustainable landscape management. With its combination of efficiency, precision, and ecological value, it offers a compelling solution for the UK’s public and private landscapes alike.

For councils, contractors and estate managers, the message is clear: mechanical planting is not just about saving time. It is about delivering better, more resilient landscapes – ones that flower when communities most need them, support biodiversity across the seasons, and provide visible value for years to come.

Ready to bring colour to your landscape with precision planting?

JUB Holland welcome enquiries from councils, contractors, estate managers and landscape professionals. Discover how mechanical planting can deliver efficient, sustainable, and well-timed bulb displays for your next project.

Contact:

Job van Eeden – Sales Manager UK:
T +31 6 4397 8319 | job@jubholland.nl