Low-Maintenance Bulbs

Producing flower colour for virtually any time of the year, bulbs make a valuable contribution to the low-maintenance garden.

Many bulbs will flower reliably year after year, with the clumps improving all the time, and once they have been planted they need very little attention.

Most summer-flowering bulbs, such as alliums and lilies, are best planted in groups in a border, but the easiest way to grow many spring and autumn flowering bulbs is to naturalize them in grass. This eliminates the need for annual replanting and means that you don't have to cut that part of the lawn until the leaves have died down naturally.

It is better to keep naturalized bulbs to one small area of the lawn so that the rest can be cut normally and it won't look too untidy.

Caring for Bulbs
Naturalized bulbs and those left in a border for many years will eventually need dividing to prevent overcrowding, which would lead to deteriorating results. Lift large clumps when the leaves have just died back, or any time when the bulbs are dormant. Separate the clump into smaller pieces and replant. You do not have to separate into individual bulbs.

Naturalizing Large Bulbs

1)To create a natural effect, scatter the bulbs on the grass and plant them where they fall. Make a hole for each, roughly three times their own depth, using either a trowel or a bulb planter, which pulls out a neat plug of grass and soil. Insertion will be easier if the ground is moist rather than dry.
2)Place a bulb in the hole. Crumble some soil from the bottom of the plug and let it fall around the bulb to make sure it will not be left in a pocket of air. Press the plug back into position.

Naturalizing Small Bulbs

1)For small bulbs and corms it is sometimes easier to lift and then replace the grass. Use a spade to slice beneath the grass, and then roll it back for planting.
2)Loosen the soil with a fork, and work in a slow-acting fertilizer such as bone meal. Scatter the bulbs randomly as a uniform pattern will look unnatural in grass. Small ones can be left on the surface; larger ones are best buried slightly.
3)Aim to cover the bulbs with twice their own depth of soil under the grass, firm it well with your hands and water thoroughly.