Van Bourgondien

Garden Guide Naturalizing

Naturalizing bulbs is a popular planting technique to achieve a natural effect in the landscape - as if nature had planted them. You can naturalize bulbs in a meadow or woodland, in areas under deciduous trees and shrubs, at the edges of paths and walkways, or in a lawn. The traditional method of naturalizing is to scatter the bulbs across the area and plant them where they fall. Or you can simply plant the bulbs at random, avoiding any resemblance to rows or patterns. In succeeding years, the bulbs will multiply and fill in the spaces. Daffodils naturalize beautifully in an open area at the edge of woodlands, or on the slope of a lawn. Small bulbs like snow crocus, snowdrops and Siberian squill whose foliage matures fast, are best for naturalizing in lawns, set out individually or in clusters.