Stinzen Planting

Turning Hell Strips and Lawns Into a Sea of Blooms

Stinzenplantzen is a Dutch practice of planting naturalizing flowering bulbs—like snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, and tulips—so they return every spring in joyful, expanding drifts and transform ordinary lawns and roadside greenways into seas of color. Unlike bulbs planted in neat rows, stinzen bulbs scatter, multiply, and knit themselves into the landscape over time.

Here in Portland, stinzen planting finds a perfect home in our parking strips and lawns. Combined with Pacific Northwest native plants, bulbs add early and late blooms that complement the native growing season. 

From November through February, few native plants flower in western Oregon, and none of them are appropriate for a parking strip. Our earliest bloomers include osoberry (Indian plum), willows, big leaf maple, and flowering currant, which are all too big. Skunk cabbage would fit in a parking strip, but as its name suggests, it's not, a neighbor-friendly plant. 

Bulb and select native blooming calendar

Some pollinators, such as hover flies, bumblebee queens, and honeybees become active before natives are blooming. Non-native bulbs can fill the gap. Snowdrops are the earliest bloomers and provide small amounts of nectar to bumblebee queens awaking from hibernation.  Crocuses are excellent nectar and pollen sources for bees and hoverflies. Iris reticulata produces nectar accessible to bees. Tulipa (non-hybridized, “species” tulips) provide pollen, while fritillaria produces nectar accessible to long-tongued bumblebees.

Camas provides the highest value nectar and pollen for our local bees and hoverflies. Sweat bees and bumblebees prefer Brodeia. Last, saffron’s late blooms provide nectar and pollen when other forage is scarce, and are visited by honeybees, bumblebees, and hoverflies. Bulbs offer early nectar for pollinators and eye-catching beauty for neighbors just when winter feels longest. Native grasses, sedges, succulents, and herbaceous wildflowers carry the display and provide high-quality food through late spring and summer. Together, they create plantings that are both ecologically rich and community-friendly.

Parking strips present different challenges, and stinzen planting adapts to them all:

• Sunny, draining strips are ideal for crocus, wild tulips, daffodils, and camas.

• Dappled shade under street trees favors snowdrops, iris, fritillaria, and camas, which bloom before the canopy closes.

• Moist or compacted strips can still host hardy bulbs paired with tough native perennials and sedges.

Even in lawns, scattering bulbs can transform plain turf into a living tapestry. Planting drifts of early bulbs allows them to flower and feed pollinators before the first mowing of the season, then fade back into the grass.

Stinzen planting brings together beauty, biodiversity, and resilience—turning overlooked spaces like parking strips and lawns into vibrant corridors for both people and pollinators.

Tips for Success

• Plant bulbs at the recommended depth, even under trees. Their roots won’t harm established trees.

• Avoid areas with heavy fertilizer or pre-emergent weed treatments, which interfere with bulbs.

• After flowering, let foliage yellow and die back for at least 6 weeks before mowing. This feeds the bulbs for next year.

A Community Tradition

One of the best parts of stinzen planting is that it invites community. Imagine whole blocks of East Portland bursting into bloom each spring, combining ecological benefits with neighborhood joy. Bulbs are simple, affordable, and rewarding.

Ready to start your own stinzen planting project? Browse our selection of bulbs and natives in the East Portland Plant Club shop and join the fall pickup. Let’s make our sidewalks bloom together!

What to Plant Where

Right plant, right place is my mantra. These planting recommendations are scaled for a typical parking strip about 25 feet long by 3 feet wide (~75 sq ft).

Planting plan for an open, sunny parking strip.

Sunny, Draining Strip

Goal: long bloom and low water once established. Base natives (matrix):

• Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue) clumps – 8–10

• Riverbank lupine

• Erigeron speciosus or E. glaucus (fleabane) – 6

• Sedum spathulifolium (stonecrop) – 8–10 edge fillers

Bulbs to weave in (by bloom time):

• Feb–Mar: Galanthus elwesii (snowdrops) – 30–50

• Mar: Iris reticulata (mix) – 25

• Mar–Apr: Wild/species tulips (tarda, clusiana, kaufmanniana, batalinii, greigii) – 40–60 mixed

• Apr: Fritillaria uva-vulpis – 25

• Apr–May: Camassia quamash (native) – 25

• Apr–May: Narcissus (mini mixture) – 25

• Sep–Oct: Crocus sativus (saffron) – 25 near hottest, driest spots

Notes: Species tulips + saffron love the summer-dry, sunny edges; Camassia rides the spring moisture and goes dormant by summer.

Dappled Shade Under Street Trees 

Goal: early nectar + native structure without fighting roots. Base natives (matrix):

• Tellima grandiflora (fringecup) – 6–8

• Heuchera micrantha or H. “Pacific” types – 6

• Carex pansa/C. densa (native sedge) – 10–12 plugs to stitch soil

• Vancouveria hexandra (inside-out flower) – 6 (toward trunk side)

Bulbs to weave in:

• Feb: Galanthus elwesii – 40

• Feb–Mar: Iris reticulata – 25

• Mar–Apr: Fritillaria meleagris (likes a bit more moisture) – 25

• Apr–May: Camassia leichtlinii cultivars – 15 (taller back row)

• Apr–May: Camassia quamash – 25 (front/mid)

• Optional: Brodiaea – 25 for late spring sparkle

Notes: These bulbs bloom before trees fully leaf out, so they still get “spring sun.” Mulch lightly, don’t raise soil over roots.

Bee Superhighway 

Goal: maximum early nectar from winter through spring. Base natives (matrix):

• Armeria maritima (sea thrift) – 10 (sunny edges)

• Lupinus polyphyllus (riverbank lupine) – 6 (sun)

• Phacelia heterophylla (native phacelia) – 6–8

Bulbs:

• Feb: Galanthus elwesii – 50

• Feb–Mar: Iris reticulata – 25

• Mar: Species tulips (tarda, clusiana) – 40

• Mar–Apr: Fritillaria uva-vulpis – 25

• Apr–May: Camassia quamash – 25

• Fall: Crocus sativus – 25 (bonus fall forage + spice!)

Notes: Leave bulb foliage 6 weeks post-bloom before mowing. Avoid pre-emergent herbicides.

Low-Mow, Look-Good-All-Year

Goal: tidy bones with seasonal color bursts. Base natives (matrix):

• Carex pansa (or native low Carex) – 20–24 plugs as the “lawn”

• Eriophyllum lanatum (oregon sunshine) – 6 (gold spring/summer)

• Penstemon davidsonii or P. serrulatus – 6

Bulbs:

• Feb–Mar: Galanthus elwesii – 40

• Mar: Iris reticulata – 25

• Mar–Apr: Species tulips mix – 40

• Apr–May: Camassia leichtlinii ‘Blue Heaven’/‘Alba’ – 15–20

• Apr–May: Narcissus (mini mix) – 25

• Sep–Oct: Crocus sativus – 20

Layout & Spacing

• Matrix first, bulbs second. Plant natives in a loose grid based on their mature size. Then scatter bulbs in drifts (5–9 bulbs per pocket) for a natural look.

• Depths: Snowdrops/crocus/iris retic 3–4" deep; species tulips/frits/daffs 6–8"; camassia 6–8"; saffron 4–5".

• Edge strategy: Put saffron and species tulips along curb + sidewalk edges (hottest/driest). Keep taller camassia toward tree side or the back of the strip.

Care & Calendar

• Fall (planting): water in thoroughly; add 1–2" fine mulch

• To prevent squirrels from digging up bulbs, cover with tulle or chicken wire.

• Late winter–spring: enjoy blooms; weed as needed.

• Post-bloom: wait ~6 weeks before mowing or cutting bulb foliage.

• Summer: keep it dry for tulips/saffron; camassia tolerates dry dormancy.

• Every fall: top up with a light compost dusting; avoid high-nitrogen lawn care.