With 500 Spring Bulbs arriving in a few weeks (what was I thinking?) I had to prepare some places for them.
Most are daffodils with different colors/flower shapes to add to the existing daffodil bed around the bird-feeder. Some will go into the front yard daffodil box for the same reason. I decided that masses of the same flowers needed some additional/contrasting colors.
The hyacinths, tulips, and crocuses have to protected from deer and voles. Both consider them candy. The voles eat the bulbs below ground; the deer eat the flowers. I can protect against the voles by planting with wire cages underground. I can only protect them from deer because the deer won't jump the tall fence into the back yard.
So I mowed one 10' diameter bed in the back yard. and one larger one in the front down to 1/2". I have never grown pollinator plants in it (as I intended it for), but a few dozen hyacinths will smell sweet in Spring and I can try other plants there (slightly shady in Summer).
The crocuses will go into the back lawn in mesh cages too. I need to keep the moles away. They don't eat the bulbs, but the voles use the mole tunnels to travel around and they eat the bulbs.
I need taller edging around the various beds. 6" is not enough. Set 4" deep just to stay upright barely protects against mowing. I need 12" edging. Or landscaping bricks that stack securely.daffodils