Your blooming flower garden starts with planting

tulip bulbs

When you hold a tulip bulb in your hand it might be hard to imagine that tulips are one of the easiest flowers to grow successfully in your garden or yard....but they are!

Plant tulip bulbs in the fall and you can expect to see a beautiful display of color in the coming spring!

Tulips are native to Eastern Turkey (further Asia region) and in this region the winters are really cold and the summers are hot and dry and tulips flourish in these conditions.

When growing them in your own yard, make sure to plant them before the first frost to ensure they have plenty of time to "bed down" for the winter.

(C) Flowers & Garden.com

(C) Flowers & Garden.com

Tulips are typically classified as a perennial flower which means your tulip bulb will bloom year after year if you have the right conditions. However, sometimes tulips need to be treated as annuals and will need to be dug up at the end of each growing season.

Tulips do best when they are planted in soil that drains well. Wet soil promotes fungus and disease and can rot your tulip bulbs. Wet soil can also cause bulbs to drown out which is actually due to suffocation. Suffocation can also be caused by tight soil that doesn't hold much oxygen. Adding compost and/or coarse sand to the soil will make it more airy and alleviate these problems. In wetter areas raised beds are recommended in which you should have at least a 10-inch depth of loose airy soil. Fertilize and water bulbs when planting. Sufficient water at the time of planting is necessary to get them growing and to ensure the start of a strong root system.

Tulip bulb care:
Tulip Bulb Care: At the end of the growing season in the spring, be sure to dead-head the tulips before they start to drop their petals. The fallen petals can cause the tulip bulb to rot. Topping also removes the seedpod from the plant, which if left would rob some of the energy that would otherwise go to the new bulb growth. If needed because of environmental conditions, dig up your tulip bulb after the foliage has died down completely. This will allow you re-arrange your tulips with a different color scheme or to add different varieties. Store the tulip bulbs away from direct heat and cold, with adequate ventilation. When re-planted in the fall use a special bulb fertilizer. Of course if you have optimal conditions, you can leave your bulbs alone and let them bloom again on their own.

Here is a short list of best perennialized tulips:

-Single Early Tulips are mainly short stemmed
and early flowering:

• Keizerkroon
• Christmas Marvel
• Couleur Cardinal

-Triumph Tulips are flowering in mid-season
and have stem of medium height:

• Don Quichotte
• Golden Melody
• Kees Nelis
• Merry Widow

-Fringed Tulips are flowering mid-season
or late. Stem of variable length.

• Burgundy Lace

• Aladdin
• Maytime
• Ballade
• White Triumphator
• Red Shine

Tips for fresh cut tulips: garden grown or store bought:

1. If store bought, cut about 1" off the stems while keeping the tulips wrapped in the cellophane.

2. Place in cold water (preferably in a cool location) for 4-6 hours. Keeping the tulips wrapped helps them to stand straight and tall while they drink the water.

3. Remove wrapping and arrange flowers in a clean vase with fresh, cool water.(if possible cool down the water with a few ice cubes)

4. Add water daily OR as needed. An occasional fresh cut is sometimes needed.

5. If you accidentally allow the vase to run dry, try giving them a fresh cut and placing in cool water in a cool location – the flowers will frequently recover and "stand up" again.

Typical vase life for Tulips is about a week, and varies depending on the environment. Keep in mind, cooler room temperatures and keeping away from direct sunlight will prolong flower life