Home Kit: Petal Previsions

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HOME KIT

PETAL PREVISIONS

By Eileen Dennie + Illustrations by Wil Foster

When your landscaping transitions into autumn hues, it’s time to prepare for spring. Give yourself something to look forward to when the earth comes alive again: Plant bulbs! They add color, motion, texture, scent and variety to your garden beds. When it comes to picking your posies, you simply won’t find a bulb that offers more variety than the tulip, as evidenced by these seven showstoppers.*

AMORE IN THE AIR Clusiana tulips, also known as “lady tulips” for their petite size and delicate shape, transform into striking fields of color when blossoms open in the sunshine and reveal their inner tint. This peachand-white standout deserves a front row spot in your border, mixed with grape hyacinth for contrast.

The finely cut fringes of Esprit tulips lend an eye-catching lacy shape and texture. Frilly layers of pink, orange, yellow and green swirl on the petals of these freespirited showoffs. As romance blooms, so does the peony-like Sweet Desire tulip, with innocent pink-and-green petals giving way to plush white layers in the center. You’ll fall in love with the pastel shades and softness of

FEMININE MYSTIQUE FRINGE BENEFITS these long-lasting charmers.

SALT-RIMMED SUNSHINE The glowing globes of the Yellow Margarita tulip are a tribute to the sun, complete with fiery red touches on the golden petals. Want to craft your own eyecatching cocktail? Intersperse these brilliant blossoms with the giant candy-red petals and yellow-edged foliage of the Voyager tulip, then drink in the intoxicating sights and scent. Just like their fashion statement namesake, Hot Pants tulips are showy, sporting spectacular bright bands of fuchsia and white. Plant en masse for a headturning display.

SLOW DANCE Similar in shape and color to Sweet Desire but even more voluminous, Double Surprise tulips add movement to your yard, swaying in the spring

PRETTY IN PINK breeze, as if dancing. TULIP TIPS ▢ Plant your bulbs individually or in small groups for an informal, naturalized look, and allow them to self-propagate freely. ▢ In more formal gardens, plant bulbs in larger groups for more color impact or even in linear patterns to direct the eye. ▢ In full sun, bury bulbs twice the depth of the bulb’s height with the point up using a gardening knife or bulb-planting tool. Give the soil a splash of water after planting. ▢ Tulips make excellent cut flower bouquets, so don’t shortchange yourself. Plant extras so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor indoors.