A perennial to plant with tulips?

I love tulips and dahlias but once they die I'd like to have something else fill in that part of the garden. I've been doing it with annuals, but would like to find a perennial that can grow without damaging the bulbs. Anybody have any thoughts?

How about hostas? They'd be just emerging as the tulips flowered and they'd hide the dying foliage.

What about anemones like A. japonica "Honorine Jobert" or A. vitifolia "Robustissima"? They are hardy to zone 4 and bloom in late summer to early autumn. I don't know for sure about dahlias and tulips, but the anemones don't bother the narcissus or Asiatic lilies I grow among them.

But now that I think about it...you must have to lift your dahlias in zone 5a. The anemones will produce suckering underground shoots; in spite of that they are widely considered to be good in borders, which implies they behave themselves well enough to be allowed in among other plants. I like them very much.

How about daylilies? As long as they're not directly over the tulip bulbs, the roots should not cause interference.

I'd say hostas for sure, I have some dwarf double red tulips around the edge of my raised bed, they are strongly scented of honeycomb, honey with the beeswax, and are gorgeous. I think the name is Electra. I also have some dwarf botanicals called Eastern Star, they have taken years to flower but did last year, and make runners with more bulbs and evergreen foliage over winter. They are early, and flower as the hostas start in growth. I have some others amongst the bed including Blue parrot tulips, they flowered again last year after 3 to 4 years recovery, and come a little later but before the hostas take over. Tulips like a dry summer spell and this provides them with it as the hostas take the moisture, here's mine

Hostas will work if it's shady in the summer. I don't really like hostas very much; I especially dislike variegated ones. But they all look bad if they get too much sun.

I really hate coleus, weigela, and euonymus.

I circle my Hardy Hibiscus with Tulips.
Sedum and Lambs Ears would be nice, too.
Andy P

LOL missgarney--and how do you REALLY feel about hostas?* and coleus, etc., etc.?!!* t.

*don't answer that! (-;

Oh, and did I mention that I positively LOATHE Stella d'Oro daylilies? And there are some planted on our property. I tried digging them up last year and I did move a few to an out-of-the-way weedy slope, but it was too big a job for my back and so I still have clumps along the driveway. YUck.

Thank you all for your ideas! Much appreciated. The area where I've planted the bulbs is very sunny, hot and close to the house, more like that particular area is in zone 6! I don't think hostas would do so well there. I'll definitely check out the other ideas!

Just want to add Gladiolus and Athyrium. They both work well for timing. Athyrium sunburn,(best in shade) but glads love it hot and sunny. I know folks who have the perfect combo of Tulips and Strawberries.
K. James

Athyrium filix-femina is sun tolerant, ,mine has got really big

yeah rah someone else who HATES Stella, offer it around and some one with no taste will come and dig it for free horrid horrid akward ugly thing, if worst comes to worst, call up a nursery and they might come get it. I use it a lot for other people but hate the little beast :0)

if you like them enough to raise them as annuals, mexican sage will be spectacular in those bright sunny areas, severl other will also work, Victoria, and pinapple sage should fit in, Vioctoria is probably an annual there as well pineapple for sure is. Northern maidenhair takes a lot of sun if watered, but the tupils won't like that to much. Soapwort is lovely and will work but invasive, give it some room Vinca should also do well the rosea types, annual but reseeds here in time to be pretty most of the summer, pops up in late May and putting on a show in July when most other stuff is curling up Look at italian arum, might survive there and should fit the bill.