You mention it is color you want but that does not have to mean flowers. Foliage color is much easier and longer lasting and there is a lot available that requires less of a gardeners time. Al

Some things to consider: the vast majority of flowering bulbs prefer a lot of sun - areas that are most suitable for growing hostas (shade lovers) will not be the best for flowering bulbs. Also, most summer flowering bulbs derive from semi-tropical or tropical locales and are not winter hardy left in the ground in most areas of the country. Digging them up each season and storing over the winter and replanting each spring is a lot of work :-) Lilies tend to be the exception and would be a nice addition. Spring flowering bulbs are hardier and can be left in place but they also like full sun and will have messy foliage after bloom that must be left in place.

For a long season of color, I'd consider some hardy perennials before choosing bulbs. Things like black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), cone flowers, daylilies, sedums, yarrow, salvias and malva are very low maintenance as perennials go and pretty drought tolerant as well, reducing watering needs. Others to consider are oriental poppies, iris and peonies. And ornamental grasses. And Al makes a good point regarding foliage - any flowering perennial (or bulb, for that matter) will have a limited bloom season, so relying on plants that offer great foliage effect will extend the season and provide interest even into winter.

Something else you might consider, would be cosmos flowers, as they have a very long bloom time, and will reseed nicely for the next year. They will even drop seed, and the new seedlings will bloom within the same year...making it all right to pull up the 'spent' plants that are pretty well bloomed out.

As you can see by the link below, there is a wide variety of colors and heights available. Not shown are lavenders and purples that are also available.

If the bed is fairly sunny, some Rose Of Sharon shrubs might be nice too as they have a fairly long summer season.

Is the bed sunny or shady, since you mentioned planting hostas? AM sun? PM sun? Full sun? No sun?

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Cosmos Produces Cosmic Beauty

Thank you for the replies thus far. It is a sunny spot. The hostas weren't my idea. Another teacher separated some hostas from another bed and put them there. I didn't complain because not only wasn't I sure about whether they could live there, but I also was desperate for someone else to take an interest in the garden.

I bought a book that showed some spring and summer drawings of the same garden. The garden had spring and summer blooming flowers planted with one another - perhaps literally on top of one another - so the same spot of the garden showed one flower in spring and another in summer. If I recall, there were daffodils (I think) in one spot with day lillies in the same spot during the summer. Is this type of effect easy to do? It almost sounds too good to be true.

Not sure that it matters. I just checked the book again and it was tulips and daylillies planted in the same spot.

Combining spring flowering bulbs with later emerging perennials is a very popular way of disguising the foliage of the bulbs as it ripens. Daylilies and daffs are a classic example but any leafy perennial and any spring flowering bulb can work equally as well. They are not planted precisely in the same spot but in relatively close proximity. I prefer to plant the perennials first and once they are in place as I like, I'll fill in around them with the bulbs. That way you run no risk of accidently slicing into a bulb when planting the perennials. And you will get a better show (more floral impact) if you plant the bulbs in clusters rather than individually.

Just a thought here, but it seems to me you would get the most pleasure from this garden if you concentrated on things that are beautiful during the months that school is in: fall, winter, and spring. Shrubbery with fall color, and/or evergreens and conifers would be a good place to begin. I know that sounds more expensive, but really, when you think about how much more ground a shrub covers, it isn't. Perennials and bulbs can be used to add interest around and in front of shrubs. (less maintenance this way too)

Cleome is an annual that is an exceptional re-seeder here. (7b central AL) They are very pretty (pinks) and bloom for me from early June until frost. They do need some dead-heading to keep them blooming. I have tons of seeds if you want some, let me know. (Do be aware that the seedlings are very easy to pull if you get more than you need, but there were a lot of them. I will get a picture of mine tomorrow if you would like to see them.
Kay

Glad to see this thread continuing. Thanks so much!

Hostas that have a lot of white in the leaves tend to tolerate more sun than the dark green ones. Also, they have nice lavendar flowers in July, usually. Some of them, like White Christmas, really want sun.

The variegated ones are a nice refreshing change from all green, especially during times the flowers are all resting.

Go for daylilies for easy care, few pests, and lots of color during the summer. Crimson Pirate (bright red) & Twist of Lemon are a really handsome combination--although my Lemon bloomed before the Pirates.

Are you enlisting the help of the schoolkids as service projects, for digging/planting? Or watering/weeding, in summer, by those who live near enough?