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Tulip Garden
How to plan and successfully grow your tulip garden.
 Every
spring if you walk down past your neighbour's gardens for a stroll
in the park, what do you inevitably see, both in the gardens and
the park... beautiful displays of tulips. Gardens full of delight!
One of the reasons for this is that apart their stunning beauty
they are readily available, cheap and have a wide range of colors
and forms. Most garden outlets and bulb catalogues sell the large-flowered
garden tulips in packets of mixed colors according to group or in
packets of named individual varieties. The large-flowered garden
tulips are just made for use as bedding plants - they combine really
well with forget-me-nots and wallflowers. They also can be used
to great effect planted in scattered clumps among perennials or
other bulbs.
The smaller species tulips have a less choice of colors than the
garden tulips, but they have a more delicate form and are ideal
for rockeries and container gardens, or the front of borders.
The requirements for successfully growing tulips in your garden are:
- choose large healthy looking bulbs
- well drained alkaline soil
- a sunny spot
Garden tulips and their identities.
Tulips are classified into 15 groups or divisions.
There are an enormous number of large-flowered hybrids and these
are classified into 11 of these divisions, according to flowering
time, plant shape, flower size and form.
Species and species hybrids make up the four remaining groups.
Let's look at each group!
Division 1 - Single early tulips
These are excellent used as bedding plants in a tulip garden.
They have rounded petals forming small deep cup-shaped single flowers,
which sometimes open flat in full sun.
They flower in mid spring.
They grow to 25-60cm (10-24in) high
Their stems are thick so they can handle the wind and rain.
Some varieties can be forced indoors.
Plant the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in apart)
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 2 - Double early tulips
They are good for mass bedding layouts or containers.
They prefer a sheltered site in your tulip garden.
These have large double flowers resembling peonies.
They flower in mid spring and are long-lasting.
They grow to 25-30cm (10-12in) high.
Plant the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 3 - Triumph tulips
They can handle the wind and rain so can be used as bedding plants
in exposed tulip gardens.
These are sometimes referred to as Mid Season tulips in bulb catalogues.
They have large, single, angular flowers.
They flower in mid spring and are long-lasting.
They grow to 40-60cm (16-24in) high.
Plant the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 4- Darwin hybrid tulips
Their colorful flowers make them ideal for the main focal point
of a display in a tulip garden.
These have large, round brilliantly colored flowers.
They flower in late spring.
They grow to 55-70cm (22-28in) high on strong stems.
Plant the bulbs 15-20cm (6-8in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 5- Single Late tulips
These are usually used in bedding or border layouts of tulip gardens.
These are sometimes referred to as May flowering tulips.
They have squared-off, oval or egg shaped flowers.
They flower in late spring.
They grow to 65-80cm (26-32in) high.
Plant the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 6- Lily-Flowered tulips
They are beautiful bedding plants and prefer a sunny site.
Every tulip garden should have them.
These have long single flowers with pointed petals, often curving
out at the tips.
They flower in late spring.
They grow to 50-65cm (20-26in) high.
Plant the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in) apart.
.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 7- Fringed tulips
These are usually used in bedding or border layouts.
One of the prettiest bulbs in a tulip garden
These have flowers similar to those of the Single late group but
with fringed petals.
They flower in late spring.
They grow to 55-80cm (22-32in) high.
Plant the bulbs 15-20cm (6-8in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 8 - Viridiflora tulips
These are usually used in bedding or border layouts.
These green striped flowers look wonderful in your tulip garden.
They are also known as Green tulips.
These are similar to the Single late tulips but the petals are partly
green.
The flowers appear in late spring.
They grow to 23-60cm (9-24in) high.
Plant the bulbs 15-20cm (6-8in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 9 - Rembrandt tulips
These are usually used in bedding or border layouts.
These have large single flowers with petals streaked or blotched
with a second color which is caused by a harmless virus. Their big
cups stand out well in the tulip garden.
The flowers appear in late spring.
They grow to 45-75cm (18-30in) high.
Plant the bulbs 15-20cm (6-8in) apart.
Among the Rembrandt varieties available for your
tulip garden are 'lnsulinde' (violet and
yellow), 'Lotty van Beuningen' (lilac,
purple and white) and 'Jack Laan' (purple,
yellow and white).
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 10 - Parrot tulips
Their stems are often too weak to support the large unsheltered
flowers and so staking is sometimes necessary. They prefer a sheltered
position.They add a wild attraction to any tulip garden
These have large, often bi-colored, flowers with frilled and/or
twisted petals.
They flower in mid and late spring.
They grow to 50-65cm (20-26in) high.
Plant the bulbs 15-20cm (6-8in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 11 - Double late tulips
These prefer a sheltered position.
They are sometimes called Peony-flowered tulips,
They have large showy flowers, resembling peonies and look beautiful
when planted in big bunches in your tulip garden.
They flower in late spring.
The plants grow to 40-60cm) (16-24in) high.
Plant the bulbs 15cm (6in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 12 - Kaufmanniana tulips
These tulips are ideal for rock gardens, containers, or along the
edges of orders.
These are also known as Water lily tulips.
They have long, often bi colored, flowers.
They flower in early spring.
They grow to 10-25cm (4-10in) high,
Plant the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 13 - Fosteriana tulips
Their brilliant eye-catching colors make them good for focal planting.
A must have for any tulip garden.
These have large, long flowers.
They flower in mid spring.
They grow to 20-40cm (8-16in) high.
Plant the bulbs 15cm (6in) apart.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 14- Greigii Hybrid tulips
As most of these are short, they look best in rockeries and containers.
No tulip garden is quite right without these beautiful hybrids.
These have lovely colorful flowers with maroon or purple-brown
veined or spotted foliage.
They flower in early to mid spring.
They grow to 23-50cm (9-20in) high.
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Division 15- Species tulips
These tend to be smaller and more delicate in form than the garden
tulips. They are ranging from 7.5-45cm (3-18in) in height. Those
listed below are the most readily available species, though others
are sometimes sold by specialist bulb growers. They are the best
at naturalizing and so are a must for any tulip garden as they will
keep multiplying.
Tulipa clusiana (known as the
lady tulip) |
 The
clusiana 'Cynthia' has red pointed petals flushed
yellow with grey-green leaves that are upright and very narrow.
They flower in mid spring.
The plants grow to 23-30cm (9-12in) high.
Plant the bulbs 7.5cm (3in) apart. |
Tulipa praestans |
 The
praestans 'Bloemenlust' has long red flowers
with blunt petals. Each stem has between two and five flowers
accompanied by broad grey-green leaves.
They flower in early and mid spring.
The plants grow to 30-45cm (12-18in) high.
Plant the bulbs 12-15cm (5-6in) apart. |
Tulipa tarda |
 The
tarda has white narrow petalled flowers with
a yellow eye, with up to five flowers on each stem. The narrow
mid-green leaves form a rosette at flowering time.
They flower in early spring.
They grow to 10cm (4in) high.
Plant the bulbs 7.5cm (3in) apart. |
Buy your tulip bulbs here!
Cultivation
The bulbs of garden tulips and the Fosteriana and Greigii hybrids
are best used as bedding plants or as group plantings in borders.
Plant in early winter-if they're put in the ground any sooner any
early growth they may get could get frost damage.
The soil must be well drained and preferably alkaline; if it's
acid apply lime just before planting. Now's also the time to add
a fertilizer which releases it's nutrients steadily to the soil
and so provide feed for the bulbs. You
can get a good long-acting fertilizer here.
Set the bulbs 10-15cm (4-6in) deep (for planting distances see above).
Dead-head as the first petals fall, leaving the stems and leaves
intact to feed the bulb. It's best to lift the bulbs when the leaves
start turning yellow, but if the site is needed for summer bedding,
lift the tulips earlier, replant them in a spare corner, and lift
again when the leaves have died down. Place the plants in shallow
boxes and store in a dry shed.
Plant the bulbs of species and Kaufmanniana hybrid tulips in early
winter, in well-drained soil in a south-facing position, sheltered
from strong winds. Set the bulbs 7.5cm (3in) deep (for planting
distances see above).
After flowering, remove the leaves and stems as they die. Leave
the bulbs in the ground and keep the area free of weeds.
Pests and diseases
Stored bulbs may be eaten by mice, and slugs may feed on the bulbs,
stems and leaves of small plants. The arabis mosaic and cucumber
mosaic viruses affect tulips, blue mould may develop on damaged
bulbs and tulip fire can cause scorched areas on leaves and flowers
For more practical advice and tips for designing
and creating the garden of your dreams...please visit...
http://www.complete-flower-garden.com
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