How to Naturalize Bulbs in a Lawn

Isn't it pretty to see spring flowers come up after months of snow and cold weather?  You can add to the spring color by naturalizing bulbs into your lawn.  Here's how you do it: 

1. Figure out where you would like to see your flowers come up.  Usually they look best under deciduous trees or at the edge of lawns.

2. Decide what flowers you want to use.  Small bulbs, like crocuses, naturalize best in lawns.  Grape hyacinths also work well.  Everyone likes daffodils, but unless you  don't want to cut your grass for a long time and look at yellowing leaves, they're probably not the best option.  Save them for wooded areas, or places where grass doesn't grow.

 3.  Once you've figured out where, and what kind of bulbs you're going to use, grab a handful of bulbs and toss them onto your lawn.  This should be done in early fall.  Plant them where they land for a natural look.  Be sure to leave a few inches between them to allow for naturalizing.

4.  Cut out a flap of grass and peel back.  Plant the bulb about four times as deep as the bulb is wide.  Plant the pointed side up.  Then refill with the soil.

5.  Place the grass back and water well.  The grass will be fine in the spring, and the plants will come right through it.

 6. Don't mow the lawn until the plants finish flowering and their leaves shrivel up and turn yellow.

Highfield Discovery Garden at Glenwood Gardens Park

The Highfield Discovery Garden at Glenwood Gardens Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of my kids' favorite places to visit in the summer. It features a 25-foot tall Discovery tree, which kids can climb and discover all kinds of hidden animals and treasures.  My personal favorite is Grandma's Scent garden which contains many fragrant plants and herbs.  There's also a Wizard's Garden, a Vegetable Garden, a Trolly Garden (sure to be a hit for train lovers), a frog pond (my son's favorite), and a Fairy Garden (my daughter's favorite).   The garden is open from May 1 to August 31.  Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children. 





The Discovery Tree is the centerpiece of the gardens.



This inviting playhouse is located in Grandma's Scent Garden.  There's a nice wooden swing where you can relax and take in the beauty of the gardens next to the playhouse.

Hershey Children's Garden

The Hershey Children's garden, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is a great place for kids.  Hershey kiss misters greet you with a fine spray of water as you enter.  The garden features a tree house, a butterfly house, a caterpillar tunnel, and a Native American garden.

The garden is open daily from April 15 to late October.  It is also open on select dates in November and December.  Tickets are between $7.00 and $10.00. 

Giverney Water Garden

If you ever have the chance to be in Giverney, France, be sure to visit the famous gardens of artist, Claude Monet.  They are absolutely beautiful! 

Monet moved to Givery in 1883.  He began several gardens on his property, surrounding his home.   In 1893, Monet bought a piece of land next to his property.  He dug the first pond on that land. This pond became the famous Japanese water garden.  Later, it was enlarged to its present size.

The famous Japanese bridge is made of beech wood, and is covered with wisterias.  There are other bridges in the garden as well.  Weeping willows give a very restful feeling and gorgeous nympheas bloom all summer long. It is no wonder that Monet used this garden as the subject of his paintings!

The gardens are open from April 1 - November 1, from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.  Tickets are 8 euros.

The Alameda Garden

The Alameda Garden, in Gibraltar, was founded in 1816 by the governor of Gibraltar as a place of recreation for its residents.  The name "Alameda," is Spanish for "tree lined boulevard."  It covers an area of fifteen acres and displays a collection of plants from Mediterranean climates around the world.

 The park was once used as a graveyard, so if you visit, take the time to find and read the markers.

The garden is open from 8 AM until dusk.  Admission is free.

Keukenhof Gardens

If you love tulips and spring flowers, visit the Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam.  The gardens cover over seventy acres and are planted with nearly seven million spring flowers.

The gardens were the idea of the 1949 Mayor of Lisse.  He wanted to create an open-air flower exhibition to showcase Dutch bulb-growers' latest hybrids.  It is now the world's largest and most photographed flower garden.

If you want to see it, the best time to go is in April.  The gardens are located between the towns of Hillingom and Lisse.  The exhibition runs from the end of March to May.

Winter Jasmine

Since a lot of you are experiencing winter now, you might be missing the splash of color that flowers add. Winter jasmine are flowering vines that can fill the void in late winter or early spring.  Their one-inch diameter yellow blooms appear before the leaves emerge.  Winter jasmine can be gown in planting zones  6-10.  When unsupported, they reach four feet in height and about seven feet in width.  This makes them perfect for wooden arbors.  Winter jasmine can also be used as ground cover.  It works really well for landscaping slopes. Be sure to prune your winter jasmine in late spring after they have bloomed.