More Tulip Hits & Misses

I’m glad that I planted so many new tulips last fall. Not all of them turned out as well as I had hoped but I love all the color in my yard. Like most gardeners, I’m already planning what I’ll be planting and where next fall.


The white lily flower tulips have opened in the Entry Garden. They are even more underwhelming than the pink. None of the tulips I planted in that bed for last year came back. However, I’ve noticed that the Darwin hybrid tulips that I planted years ago in other beds are still making annual appearances. I’m going to keep the pastel color scheme in the Entry Garden, but use Darwin hybrids instead. The only problem I can foresee is that they bloom early in the tulip season. I will have to look for something to bridge the gap until the peonies and iris bloom.


The second type of tulip that makes up the “Purple Dreams” collection in the Purple Garden has opened. It’s Attila and a real looker. I can’t wait for the Shirley tulips to complete this group.


I couldn’t resist including another photo of the wonderful Darwin hybrids that look so spectacular with the iris in the Butterfly/Hummingbird Bed. I’m definitely going to plant more of these in the fall.


I had high hopes for the Parrot tulips that I had planted in the border along the Ugly Green Fence. My hopes have been dashed. So far only this pink and a few whites have opened.


They have not had the impact that I had hoped for against the dark green of the fence. I’m not sure if it’s the flowers themselves or if I planted too few. Perhaps they would stand out more if I had planted more and massed them, rather then arranging them in separate groups.

In addition to changing the types of tulips I plant, I’d like to change the way I plant them. I realized this spring that the reason the daffodils in my yard look so good is that they have been growing and multiplying for years. I have to start planting bulbs in larger quantities. I’m calling it The Carol Look.