Naturalizing in gardening means planting bulbs randomly. Areas that are naturalized flourish with self-propagating bulb species that spread freely in fields, meadows, lawns, and along pathways. Over time, these plants self-seed and redesign themselves, expanding into a visually enticing pattern governed by nature. In this blog, we will take you through a few steps by which you could imitate nature so that your bulbs will last forever. Buy flower bulbs online.
How can I naturalize bulbs?
Start by scattering the bulbs according to the size of your garden. Let it be unplanned and unorganized, just like nature does.
Four Steps to Planting Bulbs:
If you want the bulb to regrow for years, then it is essential that you plant it correctly.
Dig deep to prepare a small hole. The hole should be more in-depth than the regular planting depth.
Take one part soil, mix it well with vermicompost or manure and then fill the void with the mixture till you attain the desired depth.
Before placing the bulb in the hole, add a teaspoon of Bloom burst for small bulbs or a tablespoon for large ones, then drop the bulb in it.
Only early flowering bulbs can be grown under trees, as many plants do not thrive well under the shade. Plant early-flowering bulbs under deciduous trees whose branches are bare. Go for bluebells, daffodils, and crocuses. Avoid tulips, anemones, lilies and bearded iris bulbs; as shade hinders their growth.
Which bulbs can I plant on the lawn?
For lawn too, choose early-blooming varieties so that bulbs leaves will die down before it is time to mow your lawn. You can follow any two methods of planting bulbs in the lawn, depending upon the size of the bulb, number, and proximity of planting them. Small Bulbs: Tiny bulbs like crocuses, snowdrops, and scilla or a single large bulb can be planted in the same way mentioned above. The patch of grass that you uproot to dig the hole reinsert it as a plug. Clumps of large bulbs: Large bulbs like that of daffodils look splendid in large lawns, woodland or slope. Remember that these bulbs need to be planted relatively deep and, thus a well-cultivated spot should be selected.
With a lawn edging tool cut the grass in rectangular shape.
Slide the spade beneath the grass and roll the turf backward.
Dig the soil up to 12 deep.
Fill the hole with one part soil and vermicompost or manure.
Scatter the bulbs randomly.
Cover with the remaining soil mixture, and level it up.
Water thoroughly.
Roll the grass, and water again.
If you want to enjoy a lawn full of flora next year, delay mowing by a couple of weeks to ensure that the leaves of the bulbs have died, do not apply moss or weed killers until the bulbs reach dormancy. Tip: Trees compete for soil moisture and nutrients, so feed and water your bulbs properly during their growth period. Reference: Gardenworks - Everything to make your garden work (PDF). Portions of this information sheet were extracted from A Landscape of Bulbs, by Heide Kim, published initially in GARDEN NOTES, Issue #34, of September 1996.
