Phase 2 : Naturalizing Bulbs

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What you need: Bulbs Bulb planter or trowel Bone meal Bulbs that naturalize multiply and spread each year. Not all bulbs will naturalize, and not all bulbs that will naturalize will do so in every climate. Your local garden center's bulb expert can help you choose bulbs that will naturalize in your locale. Typically, daffodils, crocus, and snowdrops will naturalize with ease. Tulips will not.

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A key to naturalizing bulbs is leaving the plant alone until it withers and yellows on its own. For this reason, choose a spot that can be left undisturbed until the foliage has died back. Informal perennial beds, meadows and under tree canopies are all good choices.

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Spring blooming bulbs should be planted in fall. Take a handful of bulbs and cast them over the area you wish to plant. By spreading the bulbs in a random pattern, the planting will look much more natural.

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Plant the bulbs with a bulb planter or trowel, three times as deep as they are tall, with the growing point facing up. Give the bulbs a little boost; bone meal can be added to each hole before planting. By the next spring you will have a beautiful, natural looking bed of flowering bulbs that will improve with each passing year.