Naturalising Spring Bulbs

Naturalising Spring Bulbs

Field of Tulips and Camassias, Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich

 

Dainty snowdrops appearing in the shade of trees, Crocuses showing off their colours in drifts in the lawn or delicate blue flowers covering the soil left bare in herbaceous borders after the winter, they all announce the start of Spring, spreading a bit more year after year.

And that is precisely the idea behind naturalising bulbs.

Rather than planting bulbs in formal rows or lifting them at the end of the season, naturalising means choosing varieties that are happy to remain in the ground and, given the right conditions, gradually establish larger colonies. The result becomes softer, more abundant and more natural with each passing spring.

It is a more sustainable way of gardening in many ways. Early-flowering bulbs provide nectar and pollen at a time when relatively few other plants are in bloom and insects are beginning to become active again.

Here are some of our favourites for each area of the garden.

In the Shade

The ground beneath deciduous trees and shrubs is one of the loveliest places to naturalise bulbs. In early spring, before the canopy fills with leaves, plenty of light reaches the ground. Hardy cyclamen, anemones, scillas and winter aconites are particularly useful for these conditions.

Photo by Annie Spratt

Snowdrops (Galanthus) are among the first signs that the garden is beginning to wake. The familiar Galanthus nivalis is perfect for naturalising beneath deciduous trees and shrubs, where its delicate white flowers can gradually develop into generous drifts. Galanthus elwesii, with its broader, grey-green leaves and larger flowers, is another excellent choice. Snowdrops are also useful early flowers for wildlife.

For something a little brighter, try Eranthis hyemalis, or winter aconite. Its cheerful yellow, cup-shaped flowers can begin appearing in late winter and look wonderful carpeting the ground beneath bare branches.

Then there is Cyclamen coum. Its pink, magenta or white flowers appear above beautifully patterned leaves during winter and early spring. It is especially attractive when allowed to seed naturally beneath trees.

Photo by SOHAM BANERJEE

For blue, look beyond the more familiar bulbs. Scilla sibirica produces vivid blue, nodding flowers and is an excellent choice beneath deciduous trees. The RHS specifically recommends it for shade and naturalising.

Another little treasure is Chionodoxa forbesii, traditionally known as glory-of-the-snow. Its starry blue flowers with pale centres create beautiful carpets and are especially effective when planted alongside crocuses and snowdrops. Chionodoxa is now often classified botanically within Scilla, so don't be surprised to see different names on plant labels.

Chionodoxa, Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok 

For a woodland feel, Anemone blanda is hard to resist. Its daisy-like flowers appear in blue, pink and white, eventually creating colourful carpets. Anemone nemorosa, the wood anemone, is another beautiful option for a natural woodland-style planting.

Naturalising Bulbs in Lawns

Few things say spring quite like bulbs flowering through grass. The trick is to make it look as though nature planted them. Instead of arranging bulbs at equal distances, gently scatter them over the lawn and plant them where they fall.

Most importantly, don't mow the foliage off immediately after flowering. The leaves need time to replenish the bulb for next year's display. Wait until the foliage has turned yellow and straw-like.

Photo by Kasia Gajek

Crocus tommasinianus is one of our first choices for naturalising in short grass. Plant plenty—the effect is particularly beautiful when dozens of small purple flowers emerge through an otherwise wintery lawn. Create multicoloured drifts or islands for the best results.

Galanthus nivalis and Galanthus elwesii can also be naturalised in grass, particularly in slightly damper or semi-shaded areas. It can be followed by the traditional bluebell or the more unusual Fritillaria meleagris with its chequerboard pattern for a display lasting weeks on hand.

Fritillaria Meleagris, Photo by Balint Miko

For a classic spring meadow effect, it's difficult to beat daffodils.

For shorter grass, try compact varieties such as Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête' or 'Jack Snipe'. In larger areas and longer grass, taller varieties can make a wonderful display, especially if you want to make temporary borders or parterres. You can leave these areas unmowed for the whole Spring. Mix the daffodils with Tulips and Camassias for a long-lasting, low maintenance border. You can also leave this area as a wild border and sow summer flowers. The new foliage of each will hide the wilting one from early varieties.

Photo by Richard Bell 

For something blue, add Muscari armeniacum, the grape hyacinth. Its densely packed blue flowers work particularly well towards lawn edges and beneath deciduous trees. Muscari neglectum is another naturalising option.

Sunny Borders & Gravel Gardens

Muscari and Tulips, Photo by Morgan Starfox

A sunny, well-drained border opens up even more possibilities. Most bulbs naturally favour sun and good drainage, making these areas ideal for creating waves of colour from late winter through to May.

Begin with Crocuses weaving them between perennials where they can flower before neighbouring plants fill out.

Follow them with early daffodils such as Narcissus 'February Gold', or compact varieties including 'Tête-à-tête'.

Planting several varieties with slightly different flowering times gives you a much longer display than relying on a single cultivar.

Combine Muscari armeniacum with Chionodoxa forbesii and Scilla sibirica to create a tapestry of cobalt, sky blue and violet amongst emerging perennial foliage in March and April.

They're particularly effective along border edges, around deciduous shrubs and in informal gravel gardens. Rather than planting one of everything, repeat generous handfuls of the same bulb. As they establish, the groups begin to merge and the planting becomes increasingly natural.

Then, the tulips

Photo by 一只猫的橘

Many of the large, highly bred border tulips give their best display in their first year and are therefore often treated as seasonal bedding. If you want tulips that will genuinely settle down, reflower and multiply, species tulips are the better place to start.

These may not be the most extravagant looking tulips, although they feature intense colours like the tiny Timo, Zawnenburg or Shogun.

If you prefer the more traditional looking tulips, Darwin, Fosteriana and Viridiflora are reliable types. However, it is important to stress here that the growing conditions (moisture, drainage, etc…) are extremely important when it comes to whether a tulip will come back or not. They can be temperamental divas! Purissima, Negrita, Ballerina and Apeldoorn are reliable varieties to try, on their own or as a mix.

Plant Now, Enjoy for Years

The real pleasure of naturalising bulbs is that the garden never looks quite the same twice.

Begin with snowdrops and winter aconites in January and February, followed by crocuses, Cyclamen, Scilla and Chionodoxa as winter retreats. By March and April, daffodils, Muscari and anemones take over, before fritillaries and naturalising tulips carry the display further into spring.

Plant bulbs in generous, irregular groups this autumn, give them conditions in which they can thrive, and then allow nature to do some of the gardening for you. In a few years, those first handfuls of bulbs can become the drifts, carpets and little colonies of spring flowers that make an established garden feel so enchanting.

A final tip: Remember not to cut the foliage until it is completely wilted so that the bulb has time to regenerate and make new bulblets to expand the colony.