Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Importance of Succession Planting
- Best Perennials to Hide Fading Tulip Foliage
- Annuals for Quick Summer Color
- Adding Summer-Blooming Bulbs
- Planning Your Garden Design
- Practical Planting Tips
- Container Gardening Tips
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Introduction
There is a unique sense of joy that comes with the first tulip blooms of spring. After a long winter, those vibrant cups of color are a welcome sight in any yard. At Longfield Gardens, we know that as much as we love tulips, their time in the spotlight is relatively short. Once the petals fall, gardeners are often left wondering how to keep that space looking lush and full of life for the rest of the season.
This guide is for anyone who wants a garden that looks professional and intentionally designed from spring through fall. We will share the best plants to pair with your bulbs, focusing on varieties that thrive in similar conditions and effectively hide fading foliage. Whether you prefer low-maintenance perennials or high-impact annuals, there are plenty of ways to ensure your garden stays beautiful.
By choosing the right companion plants and using a few simple planting techniques, you can enjoy a seamless transition from spring bulbs to summer flowers.
The Importance of Succession Planting
Succession planting is the practice of following one crop or flower with another in the same space. In the case of spring bulbs, this is particularly important because of how tulips grow. After a tulip finishes blooming, the plant needs several weeks to "recharge." During this time, the green leaves use sunlight to create energy, which is stored in the bulb for next year’s flowers.
If you cut these leaves off too early, the bulb may not have enough energy to bloom again. However, leaving yellowing, floppy foliage in a prominent flower bed can look untidy. The solution is to plant companions that grow up and over the tulips just as they begin to fade. This approach allows the bulbs to finish their natural life cycle out of sight.
Getting the timing right is easier than it sounds. Many of our favorite summer-blooming plants naturally begin their growth spurt just as tulips are winding down. This overlap creates a layered look that makes your garden feel full and well-tended.
Key Takeaway: The goal of planting after tulips is to provide "camouflage" for fading leaves while introducing new colors and textures to the garden.
Best Perennials to Hide Fading Tulip Foliage
Perennials are a gardener’s best friend when it comes to hiding bulb foliage. Because they come back year after year, they establish deep root systems that work in harmony with your buried bulbs.
Hostas: The Natural Umbrella
Hostas are widely considered one of the best companions for spring bulbs. In early spring, when tulips are in full bloom, hostas are usually just small "eyes" poking out of the ground. They do not compete with the tulips for visual attention. As the weather warms and the tulips finish, hostas unfurl their large, dramatic leaves.
The broad leaves of a hosta act like a natural umbrella. They grow wide enough to completely cover the area where the tulips were, hiding any yellowing leaves perfectly. Hostas also prefer to stay relatively moist, but their canopy helps shed excessive summer rain away from the dormant bulbs. For a classic look, try planting white or yellow tulips among green or variegated hostas.
Daylilies: The Perfect Texture Match
Daylilies have long, strappy leaves that look very similar to the foliage of tulips and daffodils. This makes them an excellent choice for a seamless transition. As the daylily foliage grows taller and thicker in May and June, it blends with the drying tulip leaves.
By the time the daylily is ready to bloom in mid-summer, the tulip foliage has usually dried up completely and can be easily pulled away. Daylilies are incredibly hardy and can handle the sunnier spots where tulips thrive. Varieties like 'Stella d’Oro' stay compact, while taller types provide a beautiful backdrop for later-season flowers.
Catmint (Nepeta)
Catmint is a fantastic perennial for sunny borders. It has a soft, mounding habit and produces clouds of small, lavender-blue flowers. Because catmint grows outward in a billowy shape, it can be planted right in front of or among your tulips.
As the tulips fade, the catmint expands to fill the gap. The silvery-green foliage of catmint provides a cool contrast to the bright colors of spring. It is also very attractive to pollinators, which adds another layer of life to your garden.
Heartleaf Brunnera
If your tulips are in a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, Heartleaf Brunnera is a stellar companion. It produces tiny blue flowers in spring that look like "forget-me-nots." After the flowers fade, the leaves continue to grow, reaching up to six inches across. These large, heart-shaped leaves provide excellent coverage. Varieties with silver variegation can brighten up a shady corner even after the tulip colors are gone.
What to do next:
- Identify the sun levels in your tulip beds to choose the right perennial.
- Mark where your bulbs are located in the spring so you don't dig them up later.
- Plant perennials about 12 to 18 inches apart to give them room to spread.
- Use a layer of mulch around new perennials to keep roots cool and suppress weeds.
Annuals for Quick Summer Color
If you want to change your garden's color scheme every year, annuals are the way to go. Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one season, providing constant blooms from planting until frost.
Sweet Alyssum: A Fragrant Carpet
Sweet Alyssum is one of the easiest annuals to grow from seed or starts. It creates a low-growing carpet of white, pink, or purple flowers. Because it has very shallow roots, you can plant it directly over your buried tulip bulbs without causing any harm.
As the tulips finish, the Alyssum fills in the base of the stems. It creates a lush, finished look for your garden beds and has a wonderful honey-like scent. It is also a favorite of beneficial insects like hoverflies and tiny wasps that help keep garden pests in check.
Petunias and Calibrachoa
For high-impact color, petunias and their smaller cousins, calibrachoa, are hard to beat. These plants have a "spreading" or "mounding" habit. When planted in the gaps between tulips, they will quickly grow to cover the ground.
By mid-June, a few well-placed petunias can cover an entire tulip planting area. They come in almost every color imaginable, allowing you to create a specific look each season. They do require regular watering and occasional fertilizing to keep them blooming at their peak.
Zinnias
Zinnias are sun-loving annuals that are very easy to grow from seed. You can poke zinnia seeds into the soil around your tulips just as the blooms are starting to fade. By the time the tulip foliage is ready to be removed, the zinnias will be several inches tall and ready to take over. Zinnias provide tall, sturdy stems and bright flowers that last until the first frost.
Key Takeaway: Annuals provide immediate, high-density color and are perfect for filling the "mid-summer gap" left by spring bulbs.
Adding Summer-Blooming Bulbs
Another great way to follow up tulips is to plant summer-blooming bulbs. This keeps the theme of the garden consistent and allows you to enjoy different flower shapes throughout the year.
Dahlias: The Ultimate Showstopper
Dahlias are planted in the spring, usually around the time tulips are finishing their bloom. They grow into lush, leafy plants that can reach anywhere from one to five feet tall. Because dahlias have a long growing season, they are perfect for taking over a space once the spring show is over.
The thick foliage of a dahlia plant provides total coverage for any dormant spring bulbs beneath them. Dahlias come in a staggering variety of shapes, from tiny pom-pons to massive dinnerplate blooms. They will bloom from mid-summer all the way until the first frost.
Lilies
Lilies, such as Orientals or Asiatics, are excellent companions. They have a narrow, vertical growth habit, which means they can be tucked into small spaces between tulip bulbs. While tulips bloom at the ground level or slightly above, lilies will stretch upward to provide color at eye level later in the summer.
Many lilies are also incredibly fragrant, adding another dimension to your garden. Because they are perennials, they will come back alongside your tulips every year.
Gladiolus
Gladiolus are known for their tall spikes of flowers. They are very easy to plant and take up very little horizontal space. You can "interplant" gladiolus corms among your tulips in late spring. They will grow up through the fading tulip leaves, providing a vertical accent that draws the eye upward and away from the ground level.
What to do next:
- Wait until the soil has warmed to at least 60°F before planting dahlias or gladiolus.
- Plant taller summer bulbs toward the back of the border so they don't shade out shorter plants.
- Use stakes for taller dahlia and lily varieties to keep them upright during summer storms.
- Group summer bulbs in clusters of three or five for a more natural look.
Planning Your Garden Design
A beautiful garden is often the result of thoughtful planning rather than luck. When choosing what to plant after tulips, consider the overall "vibe" of your landscape.
Color Palettes for Continuous Bloom
Think about how colors will transition. If you have bright red tulips, you might want to follow them up with yellow daylilies for a warm, high-energy look. If your tulips are soft pink and white, consider following them with lavender catmint or silver-leaved hostas for a more serene, "cottage garden" feel.
Contrast is also important. Dark purple foliage (like certain varieties of Heuchera or Sedum) looks stunning against the bright green of emerging tulip leaves. Later, that same dark foliage provides a rich backdrop for summer annuals.
Spacing and Layering
The "socks and shoes" method is a simple way to design your beds. Your tulips are the "socks"—they provide the middle layer of color. Your groundcovers or low annuals are the "shoes"—they cover the soil. Taller perennials or shrubs are the "trousers" or coat that provides the background.
When planting, ensure you leave enough space for each plant to reach its full size. It can be tempting to pack plants tightly for an immediate effect, but giving them room to breathe reduces the risk of disease and ensures each plant can thrive.
Key Takeaway: Designing in layers ensures that there is always something interesting to look at, regardless of which specific plant is currently in bloom.
Practical Planting Tips
At our Lakewood, New Jersey facility, we trial many different combinations to see what works best. Success often comes down to a few basic principles of planting and care.
The "Lasagna" Planting Method
One of our favorite ways to plant is the "lasagna" or layered method. This is typically done in the fall. You dig a wide hole about 8 inches deep. Place your tulip bulbs at the bottom. Cover them with a few inches of soil, then place smaller bulbs like crocus or muscari on top.
In the spring, you can plant annuals or small perennials directly into the top layer of soil. This maximizes every square inch of your garden and ensures a dense, lush display of flowers throughout the seasons.
Avoiding Bulb Damage
The biggest concern when planting after tulips is accidentally digging up or slicing into the bulbs already in the ground. To avoid this, use a narrow hand trowel rather than a large shovel.
It also helps to take photos of your garden in full bloom during the spring. These photos act as a map, showing you exactly where the bulbs are located so you can safely plant around them in the summer.
Watering and Maintenance
While tulips are dormant in the summer, they prefer to stay relatively dry. Over-watering a dormant bulb can sometimes lead to rot. When you plant companions on top, choose plants that are somewhat drought-tolerant or have similar water needs.
Mulching is a great way to balance this. A two-inch layer of organic mulch (like shredded bark or compost) helps keep the soil moisture consistent for your summer plants while protecting the bulbs below from temperature extremes.
Safety Note on Toxicity
It is important to remember that many common garden plants, including tulips and lilies, can be toxic if ingested by pets or children. Always supervise small children in the garden and keep an eye on curious pets. If you have a "digging" dog, you may want to use decorative fencing or citrus peels to discourage them from unearthing your bulbs.
Container Gardening Tips
If you grow your tulips in pots, the "what to do after" question is even easier to answer. Once the tulips have finished blooming, you have a few options.
Many gardeners choose to treat container tulips as annuals. Once the flowers fade, you can remove the bulbs and compost them, then replant the pot with fresh summer flowers like geraniums, lantana, or trailing verbena. This allows you to have a perfectly fresh display every few months.
If you want to save the bulbs, move the pot to a less visible spot in your yard while the foliage dies back. You can then plant "filler" plants in the pot to keep it looking decent. However, bulbs in containers often struggle to bloom a second year as well as those in the ground. For the most reliable results, we usually recommend starting with fresh bulbs in containers each fall. For more guidance, see Longfield Gardens’ container tulip guide.
Conclusion
Gardening is a rewarding journey that changes with every season. By planning for what comes after your tulips, you transform a short-lived spring moment into a season-long celebration of color. Whether you choose the broad leaves of a hosta to hide fading foliage or the bright face of a zinnia to take over the show, the right companions make all the difference.
At Longfield Gardens, we are committed to helping you succeed. We provide premium bulbs and plants that are true to variety and arrive in prime condition. Remember that every garden is unique; your local soil, weather, and sun levels will all play a role in how your plants perform. Don't be afraid to experiment with new combinations and find what works best for your space.
- Select perennials like hostas and daylilies for long-term, low-maintenance coverage.
- Use annuals like sweet alyssum and petunias for fast, high-impact summer color.
- Try summer bulbs like dahlias and lilies to extend the flowering season into fall.
- Protect your investment by allowing tulip foliage to yellow completely before removal.
Final Thought: A beautiful garden isn't built in a day, but with the right plants and a bit of planning, you can enjoy a vibrant landscape all year long. We invite you to explore our fall-planted bulb selection and start planning your next garden layer today.
FAQ
Can I cut the tulip leaves off as soon as the flower is gone?
No, it is important to leave the foliage until it turns yellow and begins to wither. The leaves are busy collecting sunlight to create energy for next year's bloom; cutting them too early will result in fewer flowers or no flowers at all the following spring. Read more about what to do with tulip bulbs after flowers die.
Will planting perennials on top of my bulbs hurt them?
Generally, no. Most perennials and bulbs can coexist happily. Just be careful when digging the holes for your perennials to avoid slicing through the buried tulip bulbs, and ensure the soil is well-draining so the bulbs don't rot during their dormant summer phase.
What are the best low-maintenance plants to hide tulip leaves?
Hostas and daylilies are the gold standard for low-maintenance coverage. Both plants grow vigorously and have thick foliage that easily masks fading tulip leaves, and they require very little care once they are established in your garden.
Do I need to fertilize the new plants I put in after the tulips?
Yes, it is often helpful to provide a balanced, slow-release fertilizer for your summer annuals and perennials. While the tulips are dormant, the new plants will appreciate the extra nutrients to help them grow quickly and produce plenty of summer flowers.