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What to do with the space now that the daffodils, tulips and bluebells have gone

Mike176Mike176 Posts: 21
in Plants
Hi All, 
Now that the daffodils and bluebells have departed, and the tulips are almost gone, I would assume there really is not much room to plant anything else in the space below. Do I cut back the green stems or let them die back? Do I dig up the bulbs and replant them in the Autumn or just leave them alone? Perhaps spray a couple of bags of compost over the surface area? 
Can’t really see a space where I can plant anything else.
I notice there are green pods on the bluebells - shall I collect them and replant at a later date? 
The Rhododendron has also finished flowering but I’ll just leave it where it is.
Any advice greatly received!
All my best 
Mike


Posts

  • FlyDragonFlyDragon Posts: 834
    I planted nasturtiums and cornflower seeds just as my tulips were starting to go downhill.  

    The alliums are currently filling the void, but the annuals will come up to a decent height just as they are finishing, and last until the end of summer, keeping the bees happy!

    I've just left all the bulbs where they are, I did the same last year and the daffodils came back, but this is the first year I've left tulip and allium bulbs in the ground so can't help you there I'm afraid. 


  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Most tulip bulbs give a poor show in the second year, and hardly anything in year 3.  If you want tulips to flower year after year, you have to buy those sold as "perennial" or "species" tulips.  The flowers are smaller and less showy, but they are much better value.  I buy them from Peter Nyssen, but other growers supply them.

    Daffodils and bluebells will grow and flower again next year.  The green pods on the bluebells are unripe seed pods.  Some people remove faded flowers to prevent bulbs going to seed; this practice is called "dead-heading" and is supposed to conserve the bulb's food stores, producing a better display the following spring.  I'm not convinced.  If you leave the seed pods on the bluebells to ripen and turn brown and dry, you can then collect them, extract the seed and sow them later.  They will probably take a couple of years to reach flowering size.  Or you can just leave them on the plant and they will sow themselves.  
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