Great Perennial Tulips for Repeat Blooms

It is November and you can almost hear the communal beating of bulb planters struggling to get through tough ground as gardeners around the country rush to get their Tulips in. November is a good time for planting as the ground is warm enough to start establishing roots whilst being cold enough to minimise the risk of a number of diseases.

Whilst things may have calmed down a little since the Dutch Tulip Mania of 1634 to 1637, when some Tulip bulbs were more expensive than the average working families’ home and worth ten times the annual salary of a skilled worker, we still deeply value their fantastically colourful and rich displays which herald the start of Spring for many.

However, with a short bloom time of only 3 to 7 days - often cut short by the Spring gales that brutally decapitate these top heavy plants, it can all seem like more trouble than it is worth. Indeed, there is a whirlwind of advice around planting techniques, feeding, timing, diseases, pest control and not to mention the arduous task of burying the bulbs deep enough in the first place. Sarah Raven recommends a planting depth of 12 inches - which is a long, long, long way down once you start hitting rocks and roots!

To make matters worse, as Tulips have been bred to maximise the impact of the bloom, a number have become increasingly unreliable and less perennial in nature. Meaning that the cost outlay of buying the bulbs and all that effort to dig up the garden can result in only one successful bloom and another year of excavation to prepare for next Spring. Now all this might be fine if you have a professional gardener working for you (cough, cough) but I thought it would be worth taking a look at the more reliable perennial bulbs on the market so you can maximise your returns.. There are over 150 Species of tulips with around 3000 different varieties but here are ten touted for their reliability in the UK climate...

Tulip ‘Groenland’ - Green streaks cup a vibrant pink delivering a colourful and interesting flower. At a height of 45cm this sits roughly in the middle in terms of size.

Tulip ‘Merlot’ - Taller than the Groenland at 60cm the Merlot boasts a large fluted flower of a deep purple maroon. Striking but given the size worth planting in a more sheltered spot out of the wind.

Tulip ‘Double Sugar’ - A large flower head and richly scented Tulip at 45cm in height, the Double Sugar is a plump cushion of pink shades.

Tulip ‘Artist’ - A real value for money item, lasting for decades in the garden. This is another green tinged thing of beauty that comes in at 30cm in height.

Tulip ‘Green Star’ - Whilst not in the Lily group this is a reliable Viridiflora. A white starburst of energy at 45cm.

Tulip ‘Spring Green’ - With an RHS award under its belt this is a very popular and reliable Tulip found in countless cottage gardens. It has a bright and simple ivory and green flower cuts through a busy green bed. 45cm tall.

Tulip ‘ Red Emperor’ - Another with an RHS award, for those wishing to inject bursts of red, this is the one. A fantastic perennial tulip for naturalising, ‘Red Emperor’ has become a reliable way to heat up the garden in Spring with its fiery blooms. 40cm tall and loud.

Tulip ‘Olympic Flame’ - Keeping things hot with its sunny display is the Olympic Flame Tulip. At 55cm it offers a taller option so again consider less windy parts of the garden.

Tulip ‘Lady Jane’ - A great one to pair with narcissi or grape hyacinths, pink streaks create a candy like clump. Best planted in tighter bunches, Lady Jane is a smaller 30cm in height. What it lacks in stature it makes up for in year on year reliability.

Tulip ‘Lilac Wonder’ - Another one to plant in tighter bunches, this extremely pretty tulip again pairs well with narcissi. If planted in the right conditions, this is another cited for its ability to bounce back each year.

Phew, that’s enough to get you started! As always there are so many options to consider and a lot of conflicting information online which probably over-estimates the reliability of most tulips but hopefully the list helps.

Regardless of what you go for I would always suggest the following:

Don’t plant tulips in windy parts of the garden
November is the time to plant
Throw in a handful of bonemeal, sand and spent compost with each bulb (pointy end up!)
Plant more bulbs than you think and try more natural spreads as opposed to formal lines of plants.
Try a long handled bulb planter - if the ground is poor it might be easier to dig a trench
Go deep for tulips. 12 inches is the target. This increases chances of repeat blooms and more stable plants. It also minimises the chances of mice and squirrels filling their bellies.
Place some slow release fertiliser or organic mulch over the tulips you’ve planted.

That’s probably enough to get you going. Good luck with the bulb planting and of course, do get in touch if you need a hand. Here at Sunnydale Gardens we have a few bulb planters ready to be put to work!

Hugh

Sunnydale Gardens is a Swanage based gardening business offering general gardening services to the Isle of Purbeck, Poole and Bournemouth. Covering one-off tasks and ongoing care plans, get in touch via our website to find out more.

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