This post is for the “Tulip Photo Fest” hosted by Shirl at Shirls Gardenwatch
I don’t buy Tulips every year for the garden – I get rather cross when they don’t come back year after year.
Probably they should be treated as annuals, well certainly some varieties – then if they do come back it’s an added bonus.
My “Queen of the Night” however, have been coming back for the past 4 years, and she is still one of my favourite tulips
And this year looks as elegant as ever.
Unfortunately “Angelique” put in a poor show and “Shirley” not at all – but that is more to do with a rather large Sage completely over-running the area where they were planted.
Really they did not stand a chance.
I am pleased with the way that the garden looks right now – and this is because of the tulips I did manage to plant in the Autumn.
Lots of them are in pots and tubs. Somehow, I have managed to achieve a restrained elegance!
The majority of the tulips I bought were lily flowered;- “China Pink”, “White Triumphator and “Burgundy”
These all look rather lovely combined with the pink and white blossom of the apple and ornamental crab apple
This year is the first time I have planted T. Viridiflora ‘Spring Green’.
I don’t think it really stood a chance – the concept was lovely,
Spring Green followed by Alliums, but the ground was not properly prepared
As I ran out of steam in the Autumn (in fact some of them didn’t get planted until February)
Now they have been over-run with hairy bitter cress – which looks kinda nice if you squint ….
Who am I kidding – it looks a mess!
In the large pot at the center of the keyhole bed I put the lily flowered burgundy tulips together with the double late ‘Mount Tacoma’
I have read good reviews about Mount Tacoma – but I think it is just OK.
Although I am very taken with the burgundy tulips – they seem to go with everything and I will certainly be ordering these again next year.
The other double tulip in my garden this year is T. ‘Double Dazzle’
They have been a visual success – although they look nothing like tulips
From a distance they have a peony look to them.
The last tulips in the garden, which this year are in pots going up my steps are Viridiflora Tulip ‘Nightrider’
They are appealing in that they are quite neat for a Viridiflora type tulip,
Although they did not have quite the depth of colour I was hoping for – but I would like to see them re-appear next year.
I made a long(ish) list of tulips that caught my eye while I was at the Bloms stand at the Malvern Spring Show,
But I seem to have lost the bit of paper, hopefully I will find it again before the Autumn.
I think I noted down a lot of orange ones ….
Which with all the pink and white in may garden at this time of year might be a ghastly mistake!
Or a lot of fun!
To see gorgeous pictures of Tulips pop over to Shirls.
I might have to redo my shopping list after reading her delicious post
While you are there; you can also check out Mr. Linky for lots of Tulip ideas for next year.
Oh my Karen, you do have some nice varieties in your garden! Very nice. Picking favs is difficult love the Spring green (that’s overdue on my list). However it’s the pot of the burgundy ones (love that shape) and the white double that had really caught my eye! Thanks for the link and invitation for others to join in. I’m browsing through the link list myself at the moment too
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They are all so beautiful, but I love those doubles! And that aubergine colour is outstanding as well.
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Love them all, but especially that last shot of the blossom. So pretty.
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Some lovely tulips, karen. One advantage of the cold weather at the moment seems to be that the tulips are lasting much longer than they did last year.
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Your tulips are really quite wonderful, love the colors, the deep purples, magentas and pinks. Actually, maybe a personal preference, and not for everyone, but I do like oranges and pinks and purples together, so maybe those oranges you are considering might work. The Double Dazzle really is a lot like a peony. Quite beautiful.
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You have some beautiful tulips. I particularly like the combination of the burgundy and Mount Tacoma, the contrast of both colour and shape is lovely. I know the peony type tulips are almost not like a tulip, but I love them.
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Karen, how wonderful your garden looks at the mo. The blossom is fab and so are your tulips. Queen of Night and Spring Green are in my garden too and they are there for their 6th year.
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Hi Karen, really enjoyed your post and there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of bittercress. You just need a tortoise to feed it all to. Your post will probably influence what I plant this year so thank you for that!
I was never all that keen on tulips for the very reason you state. Planting them as annuals always seems to be quite wasteful. I planted ‘Spring Green’ to be followed by Alliums, as you did, and I have been so impressed with them that I think I will probably plant more. The burgundy tulip types and ‘Mount Tacoma’ will probably make it on to my list.
Ryan
Spectacular. Love the Queen of the Night especially.
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Your garden is lovely and your tulips divine. I wish I had your gardening touch!
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What stunning tulips – I am SO jealous! I spent a fortune on bulbs last year including some that looked as if they had come straight from an old Dutch painting and guess what?
I have been feeding the mice with some very expensive gourmet dinners. It is the second time this has happened so I think now I will do what you have done and plant them in tall pots with wire mess on the top protect them.
I love your colour combinations – very Sissinghurst.
I love your combinations. My White Triumphator and Queen of Night have come back the second year stronger than the first. I was glad to read you’ve had your black Queen for 4 years now. There’s something I love about your purples and whites, with a little soft green in there… can’t get enough of that mix.
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Your tulips were beautiful. Valerie
Tulips are not something that I have been very keen on, but you are slowly making me change my mind. The trouble is, there are too many to choose from! Yours look wonderful though.
I love tulips and plant loads in pots which have been great and some into the ground but have been a bit of a waste of time. Only the little praestans ones have been any good. I also planted some species tulips, some are thriving, some disappeared without trace. I love your deep purples and burgundies but I too have a serious weakness for orange, which would look great with burgundy I think. Maybe for pots next year and more praestans for the ground.
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Enjoyed your post Karen. Have never been a big fan of tulips – I think that it’s the leaves that put me off so I always grow them in pots that can be whizzed away quickly. However I have grown more in recent years. Have not come across ‘ Double Dazzler’ before and she will be a must for me come the catalogues in the autumn
Anna´s last blog ..‘Tip -Toe Through The Tulips’
The tulips on mass in Karen’s are wonderful, when you sit drinking (tea) on the wooden bench, just looking over the whole of the garden in the sun, as I have been able to for some time. Thank you Karen
Lovely tulips – I never used to like them, but have become very fond of them recently, maybe it’s because i’ve discovered they don’t just some in the red and yellow colour scheme of my parent’s ones!
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Good display.
Like double dazzle.
Its all in the best possiblke taste!
Orange would be dangerous- so go for it!
R
I love your last photograph! All the tulips are gorgeous… I love all the colors and shapes. I will have to study up on container tulips for that would be the only way I could grow them … voles enjoy dining on my in ground ones… so much that I have refused flatly to plant them anymore. Once I had hundreds.
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How lovely…
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This year i have Queen of the Night & Ballerina tulips together – YUM!!! I could eat them with a spoon.
Just wondering if ou have tried Bells of Ireland in your cutting garden?
http://www.sarahraven.com/shop/seeds/seeds-to-sow-now/may/flowers/moluccella-laevis.html
“China Pink”, “White Triumphator” ,“Burgundy”, Viridiflora ‘Spring Green’,‘Nightrider’, ‘Double Dazzle’….Wow! What a fabulous spring garden you have! These eye catching photographs are insisting me to grow tulips. But I am late!