What can I plant where there are bluebells?

My bluebells cover a whole large area in my garden and are totally intermingled with Lily of the valley so as the bluebells die off the lily of the valley take over there are also lots of other plants like violets, primulas all in together
As far as I know anything grows along side bluebells

Don’t grow Ajuga unless you want it to take over everywhere which it will. You could try perennial geraniums which won’t mind it being dry.

Do you know if they are wild bluebells or Spanish bluebells, which look very similar but are a bit bigger and have flowers round the stem not just on one side like the native ones? If they are Spanish ones you can plant absolutely anything over the top and they will still thrive!

Hi Tanith ,

I'm wondering if it isn't worth borrowing hiring or buying a rotivator and really preparing that bed .
I have Spanish bluebells and they can be hard to remove completely.
So if you like them don't worry they'll be up next year !
Garden plants aren't cheap and it's disappointing if they fail .
I've grown Ajuga with Achillea - both are tough .
What type of soil do you have ?
Are you in the North or South ?

Thanks everyone the perennial Geraniums is a good idea as I already have some in my back garden. Unfortunately they are the Spanish variety and it’s clay soil as I’m in London. I was going to try replacing them with English bluebells that I bought online 4 yrs ago but it was too tough to dig them up.

Geraniums love a clay soil - so they are a good choice .

I used to live in an area with heavy clay soil in London .

We used to grow the most magnificent roses (never bettered since ), huge hydrangeas and prize winning fuchsias .

Geraniums are great - tough as anything. If you wanted something evergreen that the bluebells would grow through how about a carpeting thyme? Flowers after bluebells and green all year.

Bob Flowerdew says the only way to get rid of bluebells (if you want to) is to mow or cut the leaves off weekly in the growing season and as the leaves die down. Digging will only spread them.

I agree with those who suggest border Geraniums. Rozeanne, a Chelsea plant of the year a few years ago, flowers right through to the first frosts, then the foliage dies down for the winter, which would make way for your bluebells, then regrows in spring/early summer. Spread is about a square metre per plant.

Bluebelles are so invasive .
I'm going to try the Bob Flowerdew method of getting rid of them .