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What to grow with bluebells?
Victoria 4
Posts: 1
I've got a couple of bluebells beds, they looks lovely in the spring, but then all summer it is just an empty space with a bare soil, because nothing want to grow there! I tride many flowers, last one were marigolds this summer, and all of them are failed. Not a lot of coloure at all. And I want a colourful flower bed in the summer there. Is it some flowers I could grow together with bluebells, which will flower in the summer, or the best way just try to dig all blue bells out and create a normal flower bed?
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I have thousands of bluebells. Digging them up does not work- there seems to be more the following year! They also smother every other plant for a while too. I have found that borage works well but spreads so quickly. I am also planting out lots of foxgloves each year. I also love the idea of Ammi and other white umbelliferas.
Bluebell bulbs are really deep. Why not trying another summer bulb as a succession such as Alliums or Lilly? They won't need much looking after and am sure they would be fine with bluebells.
Hi April, I quite like the look of Ammi and would like to plant some in my garden. Do you know what its like re spreading, I only have a fairly small garden and I am keen not to introduce anything that is likely to become a nuisance.
What is the soil / aspect of the bluebell beds? - ie are they sunny / shady / dry / damp etc. Are they under trees or open? Do you do anything to feed the soil?
Hardy geraniums are my personal go-to perennials when I can't think of anything else - there are some for almost every situation you can think of. Many are summer flowering so will follow on after the bluebells - but their emerging foliage will help to hide the scruffy bluebell leaves (which need to be left on after flowering ).
My favourites are g. phaeum (various colours - spring to early summer); g biokovo (evergreen - low spreader - shell pink flowers - early to mid summer); g. palmatum (architectural leaves - pink flowers summer) and g. rozanne. (bluey purple flowers all summer till first frosts)