Planting Options Following the Demise of Spring Bulbs - 8 Eye-Catching Suggestions
Garden Transformations: Hiding Fading Bulbs with Charming Companion Plants
Transform your garden into a year-round spectacle by strategically planting companion plants to disguise fading spring bulbs. This approach ensures that your garden beds remain attractive and tidy across USDA zones 3-9.
Perennials and Groundcovers: The Stars of the Show
Hostas and hardy geraniums, both perennials, are excellent choices for providing foliage to mask dying bulb leaves. They thrive in zones 3-9 and are known for their ability to cover fading bulb foliage as they emerge after the bulbs' bloom period. Geraniums, creeping thyme, and ajuga are other groundcovers that are good for covering fading areas, suppressing weeds, and maintaining tidy beds.
Late Summer Bloomers: Adding Colour and Texture
Sedums, particularly the Ice plant variety, add colour and texture after bulbs fade. These drought-tolerant plants are an excellent companion to fill gaps after spring bulbs fade, attracting pollinators as a bonus.
Fast-Growing Shrubs: Adding Height and Flower Power
Butterfly bush (Buddleja) is a fast-growing shrub that adds height and flowers later in the season. However, be mindful of its invasiveness in some areas. Choose a variety bred to be sterile to prevent unwanted spread.
Stonecrop: The Versatile Perennial
Stonecrop (Sedum) is a hardy perennial that grows in zones 3 through 10 and thrives in full sun. It emerges after spring bulbs and provides summer and fall flowers, covering fading foliage. Stonecrop can grow up to two feet tall and wide and prefers poor soil, requiring no fertilizer.
Coleus: The Colorful Annual
Coleus is a popular annual with striking and colorful foliage. It grows in zones 10 and 11 and can be used to cover fading bulbs, growing as they fade. Some varieties grow as tall as three feet, requiring regular watering throughout the growing season and a balanced fertilizer applied about once a month.
Ferns: The Shady Characters
Ferns provide interesting foliage and good cover for fading bulbs, particularly in shady spots under trees. Some good options include lady fern, ostrich fern, autumn fern, and Christmas fern. Ferns grow in partial to full shade and in soil that stays moist but not soggy.
Planting Strategy
To maintain a neat and visually appealing garden, mix bulbs with these complementary plants so that as bulbs finish flowering and their foliage fades, perennials or groundcovers take over the visual interest and maintain neatness in the beds. Group bulbs in clusters and layer plantings for staggered bloom and foliage coverage. Ensure plants suit your soil and sunlight conditions for best results.
By combining bulbs with these complementary plants, you can effectively maintain garden aesthetics through seasonal transitions.
Incorporating perennials like hostas and hardy geraniums, or groundcovers such as creeping thyme and ajuga, into your home-and-garden can help create a year-round lifestyle spectacle by disguising fading spring bulbs. Also, sedums, particularly Ice plant variety, can add colour and texture to your home-and-garden late in the summer, serving as an excellent companion to fill gaps after spring bulbs fade.
