Naturalizing Spring-Blooming Bulbs

Naturalizing bulbs planting them in a manner so they appear as if they grew naturally in a particular location.

Camassia leichtlinii'Blue Danube'
Item # 29805 		Camassia leichtlinii 'Blue Danube'

per bag $16.99
2 to 3 bags $16.49
4 or more bags $15.99

Item # 27059 		Brodiaea (Triteleia) 'Queen Fabiola'

per bag $6.49
2 to 3 bags $5.99
4 or more bags $5.49
Tulipa batalinii 'Bright Gem'
Item # 96495 		Tulipa batalinii 'Bright Gem'

1 bag $6.49
2 to 3 $5.99
4 or more $5.49
Chionodoxa lucilae 'Alba'
Item # 36952 		Chionodoxa lucilae 'Alba'
White Glory of the Snow

per bag $8.49
4 or more bags $7.49
2 to 3 bags $7.99
Muscari armeniacum
Item # 71200 		Muscari armeniacum
Grape Hyacinth

1 bag $9.49
2 to 3 $8.99
4 or more $8.49
Daffodil jonquilla
Item # 39019 		Daffodil jonquilla
Fragrant Wild Daffodil

1 bag $5.49
2 to 3 bags $4.99
4 or more bags $4.49

Item # 92890 		Sternbergia lutea
Lilies of the Field

1 bag $11.99
2 to 3 bags $11.49
4 or more bags $10.99
Iris histrioides 'George'
Item # 61006 		Iris histrioides 'George'

1 bag $8.99
2 to 3 bags $8.49
4 or more $7.99
Wildflower Tulip Collection
Item # 99541 		Wildflower Tulip Sampler

Collection $105.86
Early Spring Wildflower Bulb Sampler
Item # 99545 		Early Spring Wildflower Bulb Sampler

Collection $65.42
Fragrant Daffodil Mix
Item # C0147 		Fragrant Daffodil Mix

per bag $16.99
2 or more $16.49
Crocus 'Blue Pearl'
Item # 39176 		Crocus 'Blue Pearl'

each $5.99
2 to 3 $5.49
4 or more $4.99
Fritillaria imperialis 'Lutea Maxima'
Item # 52814 		Fritillaria imperialis 'Lutea Maxima'
Imperial Yellow Crown

each $22.99
2 or more $22.49

© All articles are copyrighted by High Country Gardens. Republication is prohibited without Permission.

Many years ago on a visit to Williamsburg, VA, I saw naturalized clumps of Daffodils in a small sheep pasture. I was struck with the beauty of the flowers and the untypical location, but they truly looked as if they were a native plant. It was at that time that I became interested in naturalizing bulbs, which means planting them in a manner so they appear as if they grew naturally in a particular location.

To create a realistic looking grouping of bulbs, it’s generally best to plant individual varieties in drifts or clumps. I like to plant small bulbs closer to paths and larger ones in more distant areas. The smaller bulbs are planted with minimal effort using a wonderful tool called a dibble. For drifts of larger bulbs, it’s often easier to just dig a large area with a shovel.

Perhaps the only drawback to naturalizing bulbs is the fact that following the bloom period the foliage must be left in place until it has withered and dried. If the foliage is removed while still green, the bulb will not benefit from the nourishment it needs to return the following year. This means you don’t want to naturalize bulbs in places where the dying foliage will be an eyesore.

Some techniques for disguising this dying foliage are:

  • Planting bulbs among perennials that have dense foliage is one trick that works especially well.
  • Using bulbs in groundcovers helps camouflage the foliage as it dies and makes a soft carpet to accent the bulb blooms. Veronica oltensis, with its deep blue early spring blossom is a superb groundcover choice to mix with Wildflower Tulips, especially Tulipa batalinii ‘Bright Gem.’
  • Bulbs can also be naturalized in a lawn. Tossing handfuls of bulbs on the lawn and planting them where they fall can create natural drifts. If you naturalize in a lawn, consider using small, early blooming bulbs because their foliage will have died back prior to the time when the lawn needs to be mowed.

Some of these smaller possibilities include:

Alternatively, warm season native grass lawns such as Buffalo or Blue Grama grass don’t start greening up until the nights begin to warm up in late spring so they are excellent lawns in which to plant a wide variety of bulbs. Wildflower Tulips, Muscari, and Miniature Daffodils are especially pretty in lawns. When planting into existing lawns use a bulb dibble for smaller bulbs like Crocus and wildflower Iris and a bulb planter for larger ones like Daffodils and Tulips.

Bulbs look especially nice naturalized in wooded areas. In the early spring, the sun will be bright due to the lack of leaves on the trees so almost any kind of bulb that blooms in early to mid-spring will work. In this situation, I arrange bulbs much the same as I would perennials in a large border. I use the same or similar species in a drift or clump with larger bulbs closer to the trees. Here is a partial list of shade or part shade bulbs:

These are superb in these shaded beds. Here I also like to mix several different varieties of Daffodils. You’ll have shades of yellow and white that mimic the dapples of sunshine that fall through the leaves on a summer afternoon.

When naturalizing bulbs, plant in areas and in shapes that might occur in Nature. On your next hike through a natural area, observe the designs that Mother Nature creates with her wildflowers. Imitate those designs with your bulb placement. When your bulbs bloom next spring, you’ll only need to go out your door to feel as if you’re in a natural locale.

One final caution, if your neighborhood has critters that like to eat the bulbs, don’t forget to use a repellent. Soak new bulbs in Bulb Guard before planting. In subsequent years, treat the soil in the flower beds with Chase Mole and Gopher Repellent. And don’t forget, Daffodils are not appealing to any animal as a food source. If you want to plant in an area that has lots of gophers, ground squirrels or other little pests, Daffodils might be your best choice.