Note that tulips perennialize well in my area

==>>> what type of T did you plant ... the type that will perenialize long term????

when you dug the holes.. did you run across a lot of birch roots??? .. what kind of birch ...

in my limited birch experience .... they are water hogs ... and you MIGHT have issues ... long term ... with the bulbs in the root zone .. as such ... i might plant the ground cover ... so it becomes established as the Ts dwindle down over the years ....

or maybe you win this lotto .. so go for it ...

ken

Thyme needs full sun and the Phlox needs full sun to part shade, so I don't think they're suitable for planting under a tree. Also, if the tulips are be permanent, their dying foliage would obscure light and air from the ground covers. I would use low clumping perennial between the tulips rather than mat forming ground covers.

Hi Ken, the birch is Betula papyfera (very common over here), and I planted a sapling so there were no roots to deal with. The tulips are Darwin. I have lots of Darwin, and they’ve come back for the past 5 years.

Do you think thyme and phlox are good ideas, or would you try something else?

Thanks!

Hi floral_uk: I should have mentioned that the birch is tiny, so the phlox and thyme will be in full sun for the next 5 years, at least. But if you have suggestions of other perennials I could use that can handle sun & shade, I’m all for it!

Thanks!

I've grown the phlox over narcissis and even over galanthus with success. These were in a rock garden setting however, not near a tree mound. Some of the hardy creeping sedums work well also, but as mentioned a sunny site is preferred.

always include your location .. it sounds like you might be over the pond ...

my experience with darwins is they decline over the years .... but that is my cold ground freeze z5 .... i would never say they naturalize ...

if its a babe of a tree .... in tree time.. you have plenty of time before the tree exerts its dominance ... so why not experiment ...

as to the dying leaves.... you have to leave them.. so they can store energy in the bulbs.. for next season ... but since that is imperative.. the yellowing foliage.. never really bothered me ... its the circle of life ... you can spend a few mins during that cycle.. to move the leavews so they dont suffocate other plants .... [and if i had garden visitors.. and they asked.. i could spend a few enjoyable minutes lecturing them on the circle of life in the garden ...and if they didnt buy it.. kick them out .. and never invite them back.. lol ...]

ken

@nhbabs: Thanks for your suggestions, I already have geranium Rozanne and Max Frei that need dividing, I’ll try adding them to the mix. I’ll look up your other ideas as well.

In addition to the height of the clumping perennials you choose to disguise the foliage, consider the habit and color. For example, I have snowdrops planted in vinca and the dying foliage lays over the mounds of dark, glossy green vinca like such an eyesore it drives me crazy. I keep reminding myself to move them! Daylilies on the other hand are dull medium green and vertical.. In my observations of better gardeners than I, the most successful mass bulb plantings are monocultures. I saw Lily of the valley, for example, planted in a huge swath around a big tree. A mass of dying yellow leaves, yet not in the least bit objectionable because there was nothing it was disturbing. I've seen the same effect with just about every other kind of bulb. If planted en masse, leave it alone. Or even frame it -- like tulip beds in formal gardens surrounded by box! Otherwise, plant them in smaller dense clumps, thinking of them as another perennial in a mixed border.