"John's garden has gone far beyond the planting of species like crocus and scilla" I would love to have a meadow full of, quite literally, everything that will survive (bulbs of course). The unfortunate truth, at least for me, is that Crocus and Scilla (Anemone blanda too) are some of the most available, and affordable species that actually thrive in my garden without help. Scilla and Crocus, it would seem, could attribute their horticultural success to their ability to adapt well to a wide variety of conditions, locales, and climates. I like the idea of planting the earliest blooming bulbs in the "lawn", for me that would pretty much just be Crocus sieberi and alike. They would finish their growth cycle before the grass gets too tall. Anemone blanda is so short, if the mower is set high enough it wouldn't do too much damage. This reminds me of the Young's gravel driveway strip - seeded with dozens and dozens of different species for over a decade. That would be great on a large scale (like a lawn). No matter, I still like to see a bunch of happy plants flowering no matter how common and available. Travis Owen Rogue River, OR amateuranthecologist.blogspot.com http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/