Horticulture

Flower Power

After a tough year, we all need a bit of colour. Hampton Court Palace’s first ever Tulip Festival promises to be just the tonic

They were one of the most sought-after commodities of the time, and were synonymous with former Hampton Court Palace resident, Queen Mary II. From this month, the Surrey palace’s grounds will be filled with colour as Historic Royal Palaces launches its first ever Tulip Festival, which will see over 100,000 bulbs bloom in spectacular displays throughout the formal gardens, in homage to the estate’s long royal history of tulip cultivation. Visitors will also be able to marvel at types of tulip that have not been on show at the palace since the 17th century, as part of a partnership with the Hortus Bulborum in the Netherlands.

First introduced to the British Isles in the 1630s and with around 100 species now in existence, tulip planting at the palace dates back to the reign of Queen Mary II. Both she and her husband King William III were keen horticulturists.

Across the gardens, ten different heritage and modern types have been planted, including Parrot, Triumph, Rembrandt and Darwin tulips. In preparation for the spring event, a total of 105,000 bulbs were planted during autumn 2020 by the gardens team at Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for Hampton Court Palace.

The man responsible for the Palace’s back-breaking planting effort is Gardens & Estates Manager, Graham Dillamore: “With a bit of warm weather on our side, we’re on target for a big spectacular come mid-April. We are immensely grateful to the Hortus Bulborum in the Netherlands which has the rarest collection of tulip bulbs in the world. They have offered us the chance to showcase some of the world’s most historic tulip types, some of which have not been displayed at the palace for over 200 years, as well as brand new bulbs for 2021 such as the striped ‘Fire wing’.”

One of the highlights of the festival, says Graham will be the elegant formal lawn of Fountain Court. In the Great Fountain Garden, a selection of Darwin hybrids, including mixed varieties of Golden Apeldoorn & Cash (Tulipa Darwin Golden Apeldoorn), will pay homage to the original Dutch heritage of this flower. Meanwhile the Privy Garden will be filled with multi-coloured Rembrandt tulips (Tulipa Rembrandt Helmar), a bulb which was first planted in the garden during William and Mary’s reign and whose distinctive striped and distorted colour – caused by a virus infecting the bulbs - became the catalyst for the brief period known as “Tulip Mania” in the early 17th century.

The most historic bulbs from the Bulborum are displayed in the Orangery garden, which is steeped in horticultural history and was once home to Queen Mary’s rare and unusual exotic plant displays. Here they are planted in small groups to best appreciate their shape and form. Amongst the rare 80 different varieties returning to Hampton Court Palace for the first time are the Tulipa Duc Van Tol, dating back to 1700, the Tulipa Clusiana and Tulipa Acuminata.

A self-guided trail will lead visitors around the grounds and a host of safety measures, such as hand sanitiser dispensers and social distancing signage will be in place along the route to ensure returning visitors feel safe. Visitors are also asked to book in advance to help Historic Royal Palaces manage capacity and allow everyone to enjoy their time in the gardens with plenty of space.

The Tulip Festival runs from April 17- May 3. The trail is included in palace admission, and is free for Historic Royal Palaces Members. Visit hrp.org.uk for more details.