You might want to look at some of the daintier succulents that aren't water-hungry over the summer months when your spring bulbs are taking a rest. Sedum (though some can be weedy), some of the Crassula family, Echeveria and Pachyphytum are some possibles. Or herbs such as catmint, thyme - and some of the more elegant sages. If the bed is under a tree you could try Lamium with silvery leaves, or white and green leaves, and white or pink flowers. Another semi-shade toughie is Ajuga, and the low-growing Scutellarias can be pleasant, too. For full sun, and if you are safe with bees, Agastache will give you summer colour and is not greatly thirsty. My bulbs grow through all of these. So long as you don't vastly over-water, the bulbs should be fine.

I have it lining the front of my main rose bed. It hasn't gotten under the roses just yet, but I don't think it will be a problem. If it does, it's fairly east to dig it up (and move it somewhere else as it's a very good ground cover). It does spread horizontally under ground, so if you like having bare earth directly under your roses (for putting in fertilizer and such) you may want to keep it from growing directly under the roses. The main problem I have with my mondo bed is that it's been invaded by my bermuda grass (from underneath a 2 ft wide walkway, can you imagine!) and I have to keep pulling out the bermuda and other weeds. I'm hoping that the mondo gets so dense that it will crowd out the others. When I was at Biltmore, their rose garden had what I think was fescue at the front border of the rose beds. It appeared that they edged the fescue to keep it out from under the roses. I can't do that in my bed because of the mulch. But again, I hoping that the mondo will get so dense that I can forgo the mulch at some point in the future.

Kat - I have a source for it - around $10 for a six in pot. Let me know and I'll get some for the swap. You this plant needs full sun, all day long for really black color, right? Otherwise it goes back to green.

here in holliswood (queens) nyc it has been hardy for me, the only thing is its extremely slow-growing, for me! i wanted it to spread but its not doing so, so the 1 gallon clump of VARIEGATED LIRIOPE is just staying the same little dwarf, barely 6" high and 6" wide, clump of grass so far=L on a positive note, it stayed evergreen as did variegated acorus did for me. which is always a plus with ornamental grasses believe i'm in z6b, too