How to Create a Naturalized Daffodil Planting

12.06.2023 - 01:11 / gardenerspath.com / Kristina HicksHamblin

Have you ever seen a lawn or hillside dotted with nodding yellow and white daffodils in spring?

Most likely, those lovely springtime flowers didn’t just pop up there – someone planted them.

Only, they were planted intentionally with a combination of careful planning and a laissez-faire approach, to make them look like nature’s hand was in control.

Also known as narcissus, when planted in this way, daffodils (Narcissus spp.) will form colorful colonies, as they do in their native environments. And drifts will become more dense with flowers, creating even brighter swaths of color over time.

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Some varieties can live for up to fifty years, so undertaking such a planting is truly a long-term investment, on par with planting a fruit tree – but with much quicker gratification.

Naturalized daffodils are grown in spots where they can be allowed to multiply and spread. This landscaping choice works wonderfully for areas of your yard or property where more formal landscaping isn’t desired.

Maybe you don’t relish the work of maintaining a formal garden bed, or perhaps you have a slope that is not easily landscaped. Maybe you just want to brighten up a natural area or the edge of a wood.

Or maybe, like me, you’ll take any opportunity to embrace “ish” gardening and cultivate a wilder, more natural look in your landscape.

I’m going to take you through the steps of designing and creating your own naturalized daffodil planting.

If you’re ready to get busy on a design of your own, you might want to grab your gardening journal or a piece of paper and a pencil as you read along.

Here’s what I’m