Naturalising bulbs: a lawn that flowers again every spring

You plant them once in the grass, and after that they come back every spring. Often with more flowers than the year before, because they slowly spread. This is called naturalising. With the right bulbs in the right spot, your lawn turns into a flower meadow in March, without new work every year. In our naturalising bulbs you will find all the varieties that do this well.

Which flower bulbs naturalise well?

Naturalising bulbs stay in the ground, multiply on their own and return every year. These are the most reliable:

• Daffodils. They return year after year, in grass and under trees too. Mice leave them alone.
• Crocuses. The first colour in the lawn, often in February and March. They spread through new corms and seed.
• Snowdrops. The first flowers of the year. They feel at home under trees and shrubs.
• Grape hyacinths (Muscari). Small blue clusters in April that multiply easily.
• Bluebells (Hyacinthoides). Blue bells in May, in partial shade under deciduous trees.

Botanical tulips, squills (Scilla) and snake's head fritillaries (Fritillaria meleagris) naturalise too, each in its own kind of spot. More about that below.

Where does naturalising work best?

Naturalising works anywhere the bulbs are left alone for a few months. Each spot does ask for its own varieties.

• Lawn. Choose small, early bulbs such as crocuses, snowdrops and grape hyacinths. Their foliage is thin and dies back early, so your grass does not have to wait long.
• Orchard and under trees. Under deciduous trees the bulbs flower before the trees come into leaf. They still get plenty of light then. Daffodils, snowdrops and bluebells do well here.
• Verge and long grass. Here the grass can stay longer. This is the place for daffodils, which flower a little later and keep their foliage longer. On a damp spot, snake's head fritillaries do well too.

How do you plant flower bulbs in grass?

In grass, too, you plant a bulb two to three times as deep as it is tall, with the tip pointing up. Small bulbs such as crocuses go about 8 cm deep, daffodils about 15 cm. See how deep to plant flower bulbs for every variety.

For a natural look, use the scatter method. Toss a handful of bulbs loosely over the grass and plant them exactly where they land. That way you get small groups and open spaces on their own, just like in nature.

There are two easy ways to get them into the ground:

• With a bulb planter. You take a round plug out of the turf, put the bulb in the hole and press the plug back.
• With a spade. Cut a flap of turf, fold it back, place a small group of bulbs underneath and fold the turf back down. Useful for many small bulbs at once.

Naturalising bulbs like soil where rainwater can drain away. If water stays on your grass for a long time in winter, choose a higher spot or loosen the soil under the turf a little.

When do you plant them, and when can you mow?

You plant naturalising bulbs from September to mid-December, as long as the ground is not frozen. The earlier you plant, the more time the bulbs have to make roots.

The most important moment comes after flowering. The foliage then makes food for next year's flower. Only mow when the foliage has turned yellow and limp, usually about six weeks after flowering. If you mow earlier, there will be fewer flowers the following year.

A tip: mow a neat path or edge around the bulbs. The longer grass then looks intentional, and the rest of your lawn stays tidy.

Can tulips naturalise?

Large garden tulips are at their most beautiful in the first year. After that they often still come up, but with smaller flowers. They do not naturalise. Darwin hybrid tulips often return for a few years, but they do not spread either.

Botanical tulips do naturalise. These are smaller species that are closer to the wild tulip, such as Tulipa tarda, Tulipa turkestanica and Tulipa sylvestris. In a sunny spot with soil where water drains away well, they come back every year and slowly spread. They do less well in grass. Give them a place in a rock garden, along a path or at the front of the border. See the botanical tulips.

How many bulbs do you need per m²?

For naturalising, you plant less densely than in a border. In the years that follow, the bulbs fill the space themselves. These numbers are a good start:

Want a full carpet in the very first year? Then double the numbers. A mix of bulbs that flower one after another gives you the longest season: snowdrops in February, crocuses in March, daffodils and grape hyacinths in April and bluebells in May. You can read more in how many flower bulbs per m².

How do you keep a naturalised spot looking good?

• Leave the foliage. Let it die back on its own after flowering. It feeds the bulb for next year.
• Feeding is usually not needed. On poor, sandy soil you can scatter a little organic fertiliser in early spring.
• Top up every autumn. Plant a handful of new bulbs in bare patches. The picture gets fuller every year.
• Divide crowded clumps. Do your daffodils give lots of leaves and few flowers after a few years? Then lift the clump once the foliage has died back, divide it and replant the bulbs further apart.

Want to know which bulbs return in a border too? Read flower bulbs that come back every year.

Frequently asked questions about naturalising

Which flower bulbs are suitable for naturalising?

Daffodils, crocuses, snowdrops, grape hyacinths and bluebells are the most reliable. Botanical tulips, squills and snake's head fritillaries naturalise too, each in its own kind of spot.

Can tulips naturalise?

Large garden tulips do not. Botanical tulips do, in a sunny spot with soil where water drains away well.

How deep do you plant bulbs in grass?

Two to three times the height of the bulb. Crocuses about 8 cm deep, daffodils about 15 cm.

When can I mow the grass after flowering?

When the foliage has turned yellow and limp, usually about six weeks after flowering. The foliage feeds the bulb for next year.

How many bulbs do you need per m²?

For naturalising, about 50 to 75 small bulbs or 20 to 30 daffodils per m². For a full picture in the first year, plant twice as many.

Do naturalised bulbs come back every year?

In most gardens they do, as long as the foliage gets its time after flowering and the soil does not stay too wet in winter. They then spread a little further every year.

Plant once, and every spring brings a little more colour. We offer a 100% Bloom Guarantee. See all naturalising bulbs.