Wendy,

Sorry no one's answered before this.

I have the GOAL of double/triple using my rows, but it doesn't always happen. The bulbs below either don't need water (daffs/tulips), or they do (lilies), don't know yet about aliums et al, so the GOAL would be to put drought tolerant things on top of the daffs, water needing things on top of the lilies.

What went wrong with this plan:

1. My daffs are in a good place for THEM, but it is now very shady where they are until late(r) in the day. I fear creating "leaning" stems if I plant something there.

2. I don't have enough of anything to overplant most of my rows: time, money, plants/seeds, help.

3. Even the drought tolerant things are begging for water right now, not just in Texas, but all over the country, so if you "revive" the drought tolerant plants, you might drown the bulbs underneath.

I do have Salvia Leucantha growing immediately behind some roses in my house garden, w/ various daffs/tulips underneath. The bulbs probably get too much water, but the roses and salvia blend beautifully. The salvia is small in the spring, grows over the summer making a green look for my drought stressed roses, then both look beautiful together in the fall.

Another combo that MIGHT work is iris and daffs (or aliums, dutch iris, something.), or, tulips or daffs & larkspur. Daffs & iris both like it dry, and my thought is that if you planted the iris first, and left some room front/side/back of the iris, you could also plant some daffs. I've got a few "forgotten" lilies (forgot there were bulbs there) interspersed w/ my Tall Bearded Iris, and the two plants seem happy--so far. Larkspur blooms after the daffs here, so I "could" plant the two together, daffs first maybe, then larkspur seed on top. Tulips the same.

This winter I planted tulips, aliums, muscari, Dutch Iris ALL in the same long rows, alternating varieties. The "idea" was okay, as each plant bloomed somewhat different than it's neighbor's, and there was still room for each bulb to make babies. Blooms worked out okay, but now that everything is brown and crisp and the bulb foliage all gone, I can't remember where most things are in case I decide to dig them up and plant elsewhere. Oh! You mean I'm supposed to LABEL my rows? LOL!

Lavender or rosemary might work on top of daffs, or salvia leucantha.

I DID discover that the wild rudbecia seedlings I left in place EVERYWHERE were a LITTLE too much once they grew up to be big blooming plants. Pretty yes, and I suppose somewhat of a weed deterrant, but they were WAY too prevalent in my iris bed, and interloped on some lilies and other plants too. Well, now I know to treat them like weeds when they germinate this fall!

Good luck. I've never grown a cover crop so can't help you there.

Susi

Thanks, I was wondering where to put my larkspur.

I tried larkspur and nigella on top of my bulbs but I think the bulb foliage crowed it out. That foliage comes up in January or FEb and hangs around until June. I am thinking now that it would be better to find something that can be planted or set in later and that doesm't need a lot of extra water over the summer. Rosemary and LAvender sound good, but I would like to tÃÂink of something anual...Maybe california poppies? Just something to keep the weeds down and look attractive. OR I Might try a late sewing of love in a mist. According to Brent and Becky a heavy crop of annuals wil keep th ewater from getting to the bulbs under them, but I Am not convinced that will work in this climate. I have tried it but I â hink the bulbs dwindled faster beneath them. I think in my new garden I will rotate my main 3 rows with bulbs, and consider any that come up in the second year as a bonus. DAffs wil go into the outer borders a they do last well.