How to clean up after tulips?

[afdr9lk]

What are you supposed to do after the tulips are done blooming when you want to clean up the bed? I've heard that you should leave the leaves there but they look so messy.

[Ann]

afdr9lk expounded:

Yes, they're messy, but essential to next year's bloom. Snap off the spent flower head and let the folliage brown - or pull the tulips and throw them out. Many people replace tulips year to year.

[simy1]

A simple solution is to have a houttunya groundcover surrounding them. It will come up as the tulips recess. Daylily also helps hide the tulips (and daffodils).