Fall Planting for a Natural Spring Lawn
Early Blooming Tulips, Scilla and Flowering Plants for Naturalizing
Aug 20, 2009
There's nothing prettier in early spring than the sight of tulips, daffodils and scilla poking up through the newness of bright green grass. Later in mid-May, the blue forget-me-nots take over offering the gardener a succession of color in the lawn before that first mowing.
Naturalizing with Bulbs
Naturalizing with spring bulbs and flowers is easily achieved. Bulbs are usually planted in the fall, but instead of planting them in the flower bed, plant them in the lawn. Give the lawn its final mowing in the fall. Take a hand-full of bulbs and toss them over the lawn area where they are to be planted. Then find them and plant them where they fell. This will offer a more natural look in the lawn, rather than the deliberately organized approach when each bulb is set evenly apart.
Naturalizing with Forget-Me-Nots
There are two approaches to naturalizing with forget-me-nots. The gardener can toss seeds where she wants them, rake them in and most will germinate and take root.
The other approach is in planting. The gardener will only need a few forget-me-knot seedlings. Plant them in the lawn close to a flower border. These are self-seeders and will naturalize themselves, moving further out into a healthy well-aerated lawn. When they've finished flowering and the flowers have gone to seed, the gardener can mow over the area.
The gardener doesn't have to mow the lawn until the forget-me-nots finish flowering later in May. Allow the grass to grow a little longer. Taller grass is better for the environment as it converts more carbon dioxide to oxygen, so the gardener will be doing a service to the neighborhood. She can mow right over the leaves and the flowers will pop back year after year. Forget-me-nots may not be a good choice if you don't like strays poking up in other parts of the garden.
Naturalizing as a Purposeful Art
A naturalized lawn isn't a wildflower lawn, where the plants become a chaotic jungle. This form of naturalizing, is a purposeful art – allowing only the plants the gardener chooses to do as they please. Gardeners interested in naturalizing their lawns should consider starting small, perhaps with the scilla of April. It's an easy start and may be enough to brighten up her spring.
Choose Early Flowering Plants
Naturalizing plants into the lawn is a commitment. Research is the best way to start. Plant catalogs and online searches will reveal the best of the earliest flowering plants and bulbs. The earlier the better, otherwise the gardener may be mowing her lawn before her plants flower and die back to the ground. Learn the plant's growing and flowering habits. Start with tulips, because in most areas they've finished flowering before the need to mow and the leaves of the plant are already shriveling.
Plant Hardiness
Gardening zones higher that 8 will have to refrigerate bulbs for 6 weeks. Plants can be planted in the fall.
- Tulips are hardy in zones 3-8
- Scilla is hardy in zones 2-8
- Forget-me-nots are hardy in zones 3-8
- Daffodils are hardy in zones 2-8
Bright Color to Welcome Spring
Early spring bulbs and plants offer bright color to welcome spring after a long white winter. This is an easy project, offering a stunning display, whether the gardener chooses one plant, color or bulb or an eclectic mix of flowers for the appearance of a wildflower garden.
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