Planting on top of or around bulbs

I'm a bulb fanatic! I have lots of early, mid and late spring blooming bulbs. When the flowers die I would like to have summer blooming perennials come up where the spring blooming flower bulbs were. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have many different cosmos that I had thought about planting where these bulbs are but don't know if that would look tacky or not?!

I plant to satisfy myself and have fun with gardening,Tinkerbell' Beauty is in the sight of the beholder' So just do it and then you decide. Do you live where you must have "permission from a homeowner group" Life's too short,have fun and let us know,ok? See ya,Sis'

No, I don't have to have permission from a homeowner group. You are right that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, I think I might just do some experimenting to see what I like. Maybe I'll start with some annuals first to see what I think I like. Thanks again Sis for the advice!

You're very welcome''':D

You could try an old trick of planting the bulbs in baskets like the ones you get for aquatics and when they are done flowering, lift the whole thing and plant in the bare space.

The baskets can then be put in another part of the garden so the leaves can die off naturally. This way the bulbs get their food and don't get dug up, the plants can then stretch their legs and take what they need without the bulbs grabbing the nutrients.

Pots can be used but they don't drain so well and too much water affects the bulbs.

That's a good idea! I might just do that!:D

I was just reading an article, where if you have a very large pot, you could plant tulip bulbs, about 7 or 8" down. Cover them with a few inches of soil, then plant jonquils about 6" down cover them with another 2" soil, then plant crocus bulbs and cover them with another few inches of soil. In the spring, the crocus will come up first, when they die down the jonquils will be up and almost ready to bloom. By the time they are done blooming, the tulips will be up and ready to bloom. I want to try this and see if it'll work! Sounds neat! Doris

Doris it does work if you have a deep pot and looks very effective too. The only problem is the leaves of those which have finished their flowering. Puling them off or tieing them in a knot weakens them for the following year so choose the bulbs carefully so the flowers that are due aren't out done by the leaves of the previous flowers.

Your crocus, jonquil and tulips will be good as the next plant is larger than the former.

I overpalnt my spring bulbs with no affect in all my beds. With something like buddleia which is cut back hard in late winetr here in zone 5, I plant crocus very near the buddleia stems, then narcissi a little further out; tulips a bit FURTHER out from the stem, & then asiatic lilies evevn further away. All the dying foliage gets hidden by the buddleia, but all bulbs get enough time in the sun to bloom & to feed next year's bulb before the buddleia overtakes all that space. I do this with asters, mums, solidago, etc.: any late-blooming perennials. When I plant spring bulbs near dayliles or irises, I often overplant with candytuft or allysuum or coreopsis rosea or cranesbill geraniums right over the spot where the bulbs were set in. No problems at all. You need really well-draining soil with a lot of organic matter incorporated to put together this type of mixed border, or the bulbs could rot from weekly watering, but it gives year-round beauty.

A good combo I copied from a magazine article is - Ladies mantle planted with 'Angelica' tulips ... they're a double peony type with a baby pink bloom. The tulips bloom just as the foliage of the ladie's mantle starts showing off.

I took one large clump of ladies mantle - divided it into 3 pieces and replanted them arranged in triaglular fashion. Then I planted the bulbs between the three plants. It turned out to be one of my nicer combinations.

Tinkerbell I scanned a page from one of my books that gives good instructions on bulb "packing". It's basicly what lindap is talking about - except this is planting in layers. I posted it on the photo forum

http://davesgarden.com/showthread/116314.html

Thanks poppysue and everyone else for the info. Very informative and helpful!