Bulbs and Groundcover

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We have started planting this past spring around our newly built home. It was farmland before, so it essentially was a blank slate. I have installed many, many trees, bushes, and flowers since spring and have always planned on putting in bulbs this fall. I like the look of groundcover as well and have several different types. I had planned on putting tulips, hyacinth, and daffodils (my favorite) beneath some creeping phlox and attempting to layer them with themselves to prolong the flowers come spring. I was reading tonight that many bulbs, esp tulips and hyacinth aren't truly perennial anymore, which shocked me. I remember my mother's spring bulbs coming back for years. So I'm thinking of trying to find the longest-lived varieties of these bulbs, but if i need to install new bulbs, or if they need divided at some point, how do you dig up groundcover without destroying it to get to the bulbs once it's grown over? Is this an obvious question? Will the hole be small enough that it will quickly grow back up? I was hoping to not have to do this for several years, but now I'm wondering if I should even bother with the groundcover over them. Thanks for any input/experience with this!
 
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Easy, you just push the ground cover to one side and plant the bulbs underneath. Plants like sedums will quickly re establish. Look for the species tulips - the little ones, and grape hyacinths - they come in lots of colours and increase rapidly. If you check the bulb lists, and buy the stuff that says 'good for naturalising' you won`t go far wrong. I shall be planting Camassia this autumn - blue and white varieties :joyful:
Once the bulbs are planted it`s easiest to just forget about them. Make sure you plant them the right distance apart to start off with, and then let `em get on with it.
 
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Fantastic news :) And thank you for the tulip note. Although I do typically prefer both the shape and color of what I consider "usual" tulips, I will go through these types to see if I can find some white or cool colored ones that I like. And I looked up that Camassia - beautiful!
 
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1600762350260.png
Species tulips look very ''normal'' to me :giggle:
 
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I plant tulip bulbs for yard customers. I have learned that in Europe some people treat tulips as annuals. After the flower petals begin to dry, the person digs up the tulip connected to the bulb and throws it away.
 

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