Ground Covers To Plant With Flower Bulbs In The Fall While You Wait For Spring Blooms

Planting bulbs like tulips (Tulipa gesneriana L.) and daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) in the fall is one of the best ways to ensure a stunning garden display come spring. But after the blooms are done, your garden will be filled with yellowing leaves as they die back and stock up on nutrients for the next season. To maximize enjoyment, consider planting an easy-to-grow ground cover. A host of low-growing perennials can be easily interplanted with spring bulbs, meaning you can enjoy the look of a full garden while you wait for spring blooms, plus the ground cover will also provide some visual interest (not to mention weed control) after the bulbs are done.

We reached out to Kate Gould, a garden designer, owner of Kate Gould Gardens, and a gold medal winner at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, to get her advice on what to interplant with fall bulbs. "Bulbs have really messy foliage," Gould told House Digest. "What you really want are plants that are going to grow up and cover the plants after they are done."

Gould said that hardy geraniums (Geranium bohemicum) are her top choice for interplanting with bulbs "because there's pretty much a geranium for every situation." Geraniums are easy to propagate and have many options — like the variety 'Kashmir Purple' (Geranium clarkei) — that thrive in shade. Just avoid planting shining geranium (Geranium lucidum) if you live in or near Maryland, as it is invasive in that area. Beyond that, the perennial leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) is a great low-growing choice. On the other hand, the vigorous pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) will become too dense and can compete with flowering bulbs, making this a poor choice. 

Planting perennial ground cover is a great way to create a full, filled-in look, with hardy geraniums and leadwort getting gold stars for everything from ease of care to pest resistance. Hardy geraniums and leadwort are resistant to deer damage, can withstand both partial shade and full sun, and will self-sow, making this pair of plants an excellent choice as ground cover in the garden. It's worth noting that while geraniums are resistant to rabbits, leadwort is not.

These hardworking plants are also beautiful to look at. Leadwort produces blue-purple flowers against bright green foliage that shifts to bronze in the fall, and it stays at a maximum of 8 inches. Planting hardy geraniums comes with many options as they boast some 700 different varieties, ranging from bright pink and deep purple to soft orchid and white, and can be anywhere from 6 to 24 inches, so make sure to select a low-growing variety when planting ground cover. Or. perhaps go all in on ground cover and ditch the traditional grass lawn with low-growing geraniums in its place.