Dig, drop, done!
Find out how to plant and grow tulips that will light up your garden in spring.
Marty Baldwin
Nothing says spring like a patch of brightly colored tulips.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Tulips arefall-planted bulbs, much like daffodils, alliums, and crocuses.
With so many tulip varieties, creating any color design you dream of is possible.
Whiletulips are perennials, theyve been bred for hundreds of years to be at their best their first year.
Credit:Nathan Kirkman
Many tulips bloom poorly in subsequent springs and are best replaced with new stock.
However, some tulips are suitable for use as perennials and are identified as such by vendors.
Even if you buy them early, sellers will wait to ship them when the planting time is right.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
And, do keep in mind they are absolutely a deer magnet.
If you havedeer issuesin your garden, your tulips mayneed to be fencedor grown in pots on the deck.
Play with which colors you like next to each other.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
A row of tulips isnt as showy as a teardrop or an arc.
Tulips also do well planted in containers.
Choose a deep pot with drainage holes.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
But tulip fans inUSDA Hardiness Zone 7 or warmermay need to buy pre-chilled bulbs.
Most varieties need cool temperatures for about three months to bloom reliably.
take a stab at planttulip bulbsabout two to three weeks after yourfirst frost date.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
They can be planted later but must be in the ground before it freezes.
Check the drainage holes on pots and planters to ensure they are open.
Loosen the soil 6-12 inches deep, depending on the size of the bulbs.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Larger varieties of tulips require deeper soil beds than dwarf sizes.Work in some compost.
When planting tulips in pots, any high-quality potting soil will work.
Water tulip bulbs after planting, and then leave them alone until spring.
Credit: David Speer
An exception is if you have an unusually dry late autumn or early spring and the ground becomes dry.
Extremely arid soil conditions can start dehydrating bulbs, but its not usually an issue.
They thrive in cool weather and 4060% humidity.
Credit:Kindra Clineff
Applying a top dressing of compost in autumn after planting works well.
Red pepper flakes sprinkled in the holes and near the top at planting time discourage digging rodents.
Wet ground and poor drainage cause problems for most bulbs, including tulips.
If they stay soggy for long, the bulbs are susceptible to rot.
If your ground is typically wet over winter, consider making araised bedfor your tulips.
Breeders have been working for centuries to bring new colors, shapes, and patterns to gardeners.
There are several different species of tulips;Tulipa turkestanicais one species shown here.
They are reliable bloomers with long stems perfect for cut flower bouquets.
In colder climates, they may come back for two or three years.
Vibrant, striking colors add to the stunning display.
Parrot tulips bloom a little later than many others, extending the color in your tulip bed.
From above, the blooms have a star shape and can be quite large.
Lily-flowered tulips are well suited for container plantings.
Tulip Companion Plants
Tulip flowers mingle beautifully with many other spring-flowering plants.
Once you plant daffodils, theyll return year after year and even multiply.
Theyre easy to plant en masse and can last for years.
Peony
Kindra Clineff
Peoniesbloom after most tulips.
Theyre hardy, low maintenance, and will continue the spring color into early summer.
Peonies are prized cut flowers and make lovely, long-lasting bouquets, too.
They like the same fertile soil and sunshine that tulips prefer.
Try planting tulips in groups around your peony plants in complementary shades.
When harvested at the right stage, theyll last in a bouquet for a week or more.
Let their leaves naturally decline in fall, and then remove the old growth.
