The spectacular bloom of tulips in spring often gives way to the “tulip gap,” leaving garden beds untidy as the foliage begins its slow decline. The key to maintaining a vibrant display is companion planting, integrating other varieties that mask the spent tulip leaves and seamlessly usher in summer color. Selecting companions that serve a dual purpose of concealment and beauty ensures flower beds remain full and attractive from spring until the first frost.
Hiding Fading Tulip Foliage
Tulip foliage must remain intact for an extended period after the petals drop to ensure a robust display the following spring. The leaves continue photosynthesis, converting sunlight into carbohydrates stored in the underground bulb to fuel next year’s growth. Removing this foliage prematurely, before it naturally yellows and dies back, significantly reduces the bulb’s vigor and may prevent flowering again.
This essential leaf-retention phase typically lasts six to eight weeks following the end of the bloom cycle. Companion plants must be chosen for their ability to provide dense, low-to-medium height cover that expands quickly in late spring. These plants effectively camouflage the browning tulip leaves without smothering the bulbs or blocking the light necessary for carbohydrate production.
Annuals for Immediate Summer Color
Annuals are the quickest solution for transforming a tulip bed into a summer showcase, as they can be planted as seedlings for immediate effect. Their shallow root systems minimize competition with the deeper-set tulip bulbs and allow for planting without risk of damage. These plants offer continuous flowering until the first hard frost, providing a dense blanket of foliage that easily hides the fading spring leaves.
For sunny locations, Petunias, particularly spreading or trailing varieties, offer expansive coverage and a long bloom season. They require at least six hours of direct sun to flower profusely, matching the exposure needs of most tulips. For beds with partial or full shade, Impatiens and Wax Begonias are excellent choices, providing a thick, mounding habit with vibrant flowers in lower light conditions. Lobelia works well as a low-growing edger, offering a cascade of tiny blue or white flowers that fill in gaps at ground level.
Perennials and Complementary Bulbs
Perennials offer a permanent solution, growing back each year with expanding foliage that emerges just as the tulip show concludes. Hostas are a superb choice for shady or partially shaded areas, as their large, textured leaves unfurl quickly to create a dense, effective groundcover. Daylilies are ideal for sunny spots, rapidly forming a thick, fountain-like structure that obscures the browning tulip leaves.
Low-growing perennials like Creeping Phlox can be positioned at the edges of the bed to spill over and conceal the lower third of the wilting foliage. For a truly continuous bloom, summer bulbs are planted not for camouflage but for succession of color.
Gladiolus corms or Dahlia tubers can be planted among the dormant tulip bulbs in late spring, emerging later to produce tall, dramatic blooms well into summer. This technique ensures the garden transitions from spring pastels to bold summer hues.
Placement and Maintenance Techniques
When planting summer companions, timing is crucial, typically occurring in late spring or early summer after the tulip petals have fallen. To prevent damage to the dormant tulip bulbs, use a small hand trowel instead of a large spade for digging. Companions should be positioned slightly off-center from the visible tulip stalks to ensure transplanting does not strike the dormant bulb below the soil surface.
A primary maintenance concern is managing the conflicting water requirements of the two plant types. Actively growing annuals and perennials need consistent moisture to thrive, while dormant tulip bulbs require the soil to dry out during the summer to prevent rot. This balance is best achieved through careful, targeted watering directed only at the root zones of the summer plants, allowing the deeper soil around the tulip bulbs to remain drier.
Before winter, companion plants should be cut back, and the location of the tulips should be marked, which helps prevent accidental damage when planting the following spring.