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Part of the art of naturalizing your bulbs is to balance the formal aspects of your garden—and extend it. Where strict borders of daffodils or tulips may produce a lovely, sculpted effect, a naturalized area nearby gives an aura of carefree grace, an invitation to interact more fully with your garden than merely to observe its floral display.
Tulip companions are a must, then, to give your naturalized plantings an air of casual charm; unmixed tulip groupings are simply too stiff and formal for the wild look. The hardy wood hyacinth Hyacinthoides hispanicus, or Spanish bluebells, makes an unusual yet worthy tulip companion. Its high stalks are laden with bell-shaped blossoms in blue, pink, or white. 'Excelsior' is a hardy variety, with a subtle blue color.
Then there is camass, hardy to Zone 2, fine in sun or partial shade, amenable to lots of water during flowering, yet resistant to drought after blooming. By the time your tulips bloom, camassia's 2.5-to 3-foot-high stems are hung with delicate thin-petaled flowers in baby blue with accenting yellow stamens. Their effect softens and harmonizes with even the most vivid tulips. For naturalizing, Camassia Cusickii is the variety of choice.
