A Triumph of Tulips

Tulips have always been spring flowering favourites with gardeners, from massed plantings floating above a sea of Forget-MeNot through to dwarf varieties in containers and window boxes.

They are undergoing a bit of a renaissance at the moment as an essential part of jewel gardens – planted singly in a rich tapestry of vibrant colour. There are so many colours and shapes to choose from and they thrive in any well drained and sunny garden and even if your garden gets wet, they flourish in containers and pots. The bulbs are best planted quite deep, especially in colder soils.

For traditional types this means around 68in / 15-20cm but more like 4-5in / 10-12cm for the shorter alpine tulips. In the garden plant the bulbs at least 5” / 12cm apart. In containers bulbs can be planted very close but not touching.

Planting dry bulbs is usually delayed until October to November, which is later than for Daffs. Don’t worry if you forgot to plant bulbs in autumn as pot grown plants can be planted at any time in the spring or early summer and there is usually a very good choice of varieties and species at Plant Hunters’ Fairs in spring.

Conventional wisdom is that all types other than the alpine types, rarely make as good flowers in their second year if left in the ground and they should be lifted after the foliage has yellowed, dried and stored in a cool place until autumn brings the time for planting again. Some gardeners go as far as treating them as annuals and lift and discard the bulbs, starting afresh each autumn. The opposite is true of alpine species and varieties tulips like Tulipa tarda or ‘Little Princess,’ which for me continue to thrive and multiply from year to year.

By far the biggest pest are grey squirrels who love to eat the bulbs and relentlessly hunt them out and dig them up. Deep planting in grass might help but the only real deterrent is rabbit wire placed over the planting area and pegged down and covered with a mulch or made into ‘bulb cages’ for each planting hole or pot. Chilli flakes or sharp gravel is also said to help.

Whether you are looking for a patio pot, gravel garden bulbs or massed and jewel planting there is choice enough of colours or heights for any gardener’s needs in April, May and June when your garden can become a triumph of tulips.

Janet and I run Plant Hunters’ Fairs, specialist plant fairs at wonderful locations offering special reduced entry rates to the gardens on the plant fair dates.

Plant Fair Dates:

Sugnall Walled Garden, Eccleshall on Saturday, March 25, Garden and Fair £1.

The Dorothy Clive Garden on Sunday, April 9 and Monday, April 10, Garden and Fair £5. Cholmondeley Castle Garden on Sunday, April 23, Garden and Fair price £5. Weston Park on Sunday, April 30 and Monday, May 1, Garden and Fair £4. Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfield on Sunday, May 14, Gardens and Fair £4.

Carsington Water, Ashbourne on Saturday, May 27, free admission to fair and country park.

Please check www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk for up to date information, including if pre-booking of tickets is required.

Martin Blow