Success StoryAdding Beauty to a COVID-19 Year with Spring Flowering Bulbs



Adding Beauty to a COVID-19 Year with Spring Flowering Bulbs

Author: Christin Herbst

Planning Unit: Carroll County CES

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Plan of Work: Commercial and Home Horticulture Production

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

"Y'all please go and grab some spring flowering bulbs for this week's Snag-A-Bag!! Wonderful lesson for all those aspiring gardeners" --Facebook post from local family.January 11, 2021:  Crocus emerging.

The Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, has made a significant impact across Kentucky, the United States, and the world.  The first case in Kentucky was confirmed on March 6.   As social distancing recommendations were put into place, the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service quickly transitioned to alternative educational delivery methods to support Kentuckians through a very fluid situation.  All agents and staff of the Carroll County Cooperative Extension Service utilized social media, videoconferencing, and premade packets to deliver educational material.


The weekly “Snag-A-Bags” provided to the Carroll County community since March have been very popular.  The activity bags were first geared toward youth, but have expanded to senior citizens and all residents.  In mid-October, the Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) created bags featuring spring flowering bulbs.


500 daffodil, 500 tulip, and 1000 crocus bulbs were distributed to one hundred families.  Each bag contained the bulbs, directions on planting, identification of bulbs, identification of cultivars (once in bloom), and information on garden as a physical activity.  The ANR Agent led the development of the activity while the 4-H Agent and Support Staff helped assemble bags.  Excess bulbs were donated to the county’s Camp Kysoc Nature Center to help with beautification efforts.


This project will be followed closely in Spring 2021 as the plants begin to emerge.