Something to cover bluebells as they die back

longforgotten

Hi there


I have moved house and my new garden has lots of bluebells in the flower bed. They are dying back now and I was wondering what perennial plant I could plant to fill the patch to cover them as they die back and fill the space. I don't want to get rid, or move them, as they looked lovely when they were out. I just to make the most of the flowerbed and have no bare patches later on in the season.


Thanks in advance

Farway

I know you said perennial, but how about an easy self seeding annual, like nasturtiums?

I sowed some over twenty years ago in my garden, the still pop up year after year, just sprouting up now

PS also edible leaves & flowers, plus seeds can be pickled like capers, but not tried that bit

I_have_spoken

Hmm, maybe something that isn't too dense with foliage to allow the bluebell leaves to get the sun and build-up the bulb and is later flowering.

Verbena bonariensis, aster, japanese anemone, crocosmia

longforgotten

Verbena would be a good idea because I think bees love it, and I've been trying to buy plants with bees in mind.

Farway

longforgotten wrote: »

Verbena would be a good idea because I think bees love it, and I've been trying to buy plants with bees in mind.

How about sedum?

Comes in lots of shapes & shades of purple, bees love it, and tough as old boots

[Deleted User]

Farway wrote: »

I know you said perennial, but how about an easy self seeding annual, like nasturtiums?

I sowed some over twenty years ago in my garden, the still pop up year after year, just sprouting up now

PS also edible leaves & flowers, plus seeds can be pickled like capers, but not tried that bit

I was going to suggest nasturtiums too. I seeded them under my rhubard patch so as the rhubard is pulled and disappears the nasturtiums appear.

dogstarheaven

Are they the Spanish or English variety? I've had the Spanish one that I'm trying to rid of and no matter how much I pull them up before/after flowering, I'm still left behind their bulbils which will fatten up over the growing season. This has been ongoing for the past 8 years since I was mistakenly sold this when I thought I was buying the English one.
So if you want to grow something in that area,you can go ahead as no harm will be done if you cut off its leaves at ground level.

Evil_Olive

I have tons of these all over the place and the leaves go horribly slimy after flowering and look awful, so just planting over the top might not do the trick.

I always pull all the old flower stems and leaves out as soon as all the flowers have gone, inbetween any perennials or before planting annuals over the top.

Bluebell bulbs work their way down into the soil and will be buried quite deeply (I've found them up to a foot down!) but I've found that the old flower stems and leaves pull right out of the bulb really easily and quite cleanly, leaving the bulb in position and fine to flower another year.

Pulling the leaves out that soon doesn't seem to have had any adverse effects - I've been doing it for the last 6 or 7 years and the spring display has got better if anything. Bluebells, especially the Spanish type, which is the most likely, are very invasive anyway so if it does check them a bit that's probably a good thing.....

I don't think much harms them, - my permanent compost area is covered in them where I've chucked bulbs that I've accidentally chopped in half with the spade while deep digging!

longforgotten

Well that's a job for tomorrow then, off with the leaves !.......and off to the garden centre to fill the gap


Thanks for the replies, all welcome and very helpful