To naturalize bulbs, you plant them so they look as if they were a part of the native landscape. You also select bulbs that will increase in numbers each year so the display gets better as years pass. Numerous different kinds of bulbs can be naturalized but some are better suited than others for certain applications. It’s best to select bulbs that are long lived and that multiply readily. One of the drawbacks to naturalizing bulbs, perhaps the only negative, 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 next season. This means you don’t want to naturalize bulbs in places where the dying foliage will be an eyesore.
There are some techniques for disguising this dying foliage but selecting the right location and the right bulbs to naturalize are the keys to success. Planting bulbs among perennials that have dense foliage is one trick that works especially well. Using bulbs in early blooming groundcovers helps camouflage the foliage as it dies and makes a soft carpet to accent the bulb blooms. Low growing varieties of Veronica and Alyssum montanum are superb groundcover choices to mix with bulbs, especially Species Tulips, Dwarf Daffodils, and Wildflower Iris.
Bulbs can be naturalized in a lawn but there are some suggestions that should be followed. Small, early blooming bulbs will probably be best suited for most lawns because their foliage will have died back prior to the time when the lawn needs to be mowed. Some possibilities include Muscari, Crocus, and Chionodoxa. Alternatively, warm season native grass lawns such as Buffalo grass or Blue grama grass don’t start greening up until hot weather so they are excellent lawns in which to plant a wide variety of bulbs. Miniature Wildflower Iris, Wildflower Tulips, and Miniature Daffodils are especially pretty in lawns.
To create a realistic looking grouping of bulbs, it’s generally best to plant individual varieties in drifts or in clumps. Tossing handfuls of bulbs on the lawn and planting them where they fall can create natural drifts. I like to plant small bulbs closer to paths and larger ones in more distant areas. That way, you have a clearer view of the greatest number of plants. 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. If doing this in a lawn, peel back the sod and replace when finished. Select bulbs with a variety of bloom times to extend the season of beauty.
Bulbs look especially nice naturalized in a wooded area. 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 I especially 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 need only to go out your door to feel as if you’re in a natural locale.
One caution, if your neighborhood has critters that like to eat the bulbs, avoid tulips and consider using mostly Daffodils as they are not appealing to animals. If you want to plant other bulbs, either use a repellent designed for bulbs or plant the bulbs in a wire mesh cage buried in the ground.