Spring in the city: colourful verges

The classic roadside verge from the 1930s onwards was laid to grass that was mown repeatedly to produce a vegetation similar to a garden lawn. Since the 1990s ecological management of roadside verges especially outside but also inside of the city masked spending cuts to maintenance but produced often very attractive flowering grasslands, meadows and plant borders. These displays with a more natural look and many colourful flowers are now seen as representative whereas before the tight green carpets of grass along the roads were seen as the epitome of neatness.

In some places grass has been kept and in spring these grass verges burst out into bloom as they have been planted with many colourful bulbs, mainly crocus and daffodil, but also Scilla, Chionodoxa, Muscari, Hyacinthoides and Colchicum.

As the first leaves are slowly appearing on the trees, the daffodils in shades of yellow, cream and white are blooming en masse, leaving no room for any other conclusion than that spring is here!