East Suffolk Council will be giving away thousands of early spring flowering bulbs as its annual East Suffolk Blooms campaign returns for 2026.
Back for the fourth year, town and parish councils, community groups and organisations are invited to apply to receive free packs of pollinator-friendly bulbs to plant next spring.
The scheme works in tandem with the East Suffolk’s Amazing project which encourages everyone to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of the district, and last year established 25,000 narcissus ‘Carlton’ bulbs in the autumn, that emerged to brighten communities across the district earlier this spring.
This year, to provide greater benefit to pollinators, the council is offering mixed crocus bulbs, which is one of the earliest flowering plants that support pollinators emerging from hibernation, and is encouraging groups that missed out last time to apply.
Cllr Sally Noble, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for the Environment, said:
“It’s been wonderful to see the growing number of flowers in our communities each spring since we started giving bulbs away in 2023 – with interest for the scheme growing every time we open applications.
“By encouraging groups to plant these early flowering bulbs we hope to boost the nectar that’s available to pollinators as they wake up from winter hibernation when food sources are scarce. We’ll be giving out 50 bags of bulbs across the district and we’re especially looking forward to receiving East Suffolk Blooms applications from groups which haven’t been successful in the past.”
Packs of the crocus bulbs will be available to collect in the autumn, around October, from two locations in the district.
The scheme is funded by East Suffolk Council’s trading company and services operator, East Suffolk Services Ltd, which will be providing £3,000 worth of flowering bulbs.
An application form will be available to complete online until 31 August, before a judging panel decides on successful applicants, with additional consideration given to groups reapplying after missing out last year. Applicants will be informed of the decision by September.
Applications are now open online.