Bulbs - tulip, daffodils, gladiolus, and crocus

Orange Princess Double Late Tulip "The Tulip 'Orange Princess', 'Tulipa double late', is a fall planted bulb. No garden is complete without a glorious display of these robust, medium-t... more	Orange Queen Darwin Hybrid Tulip "The Tulip 'Orange Queen', 'Tulipa darwin hybrid', is a fall planted bulb. This variety is Holland's Pride. Orange is Holland's National Color. Its hu... more	Oxford Darwin Hybrid Tulip "The Tulip 'Oxford', 'Tulipa darwin hybrid', is a fall planted bulb. This stop-light red tulip has an elegant black base edged in yellow. The large, p... more
Party Time Fringed Tulip "The Tulip 'Party Time', 'Tulipa fringed', a fall planted bulb, produces huge double fringed blooms in pink and white providing a great contrast in th... more	Passionale Triumph Tulip "The Tulip 'Passionale', 'Tulipa triumph', a fall planted bulb, produce gorgeous purple flowers. This tulip is great for mass plantings in flowerbeds.... more	Pays Bas Triumph Tulip "The Tulip 'Pays Bas', 'Tulipa triumph', a fall planted bulb, produce gorgeous white flowers. The very clear white tulip is great to bring out the dar... more
Perlina Greiggii Tulip "The Tulip 'Perlina', 'Tulipa Greigii', a fall planted bulb, produces the strongest pink Greigii tulip which makes it very suitable for containers. Gr... more	Picture Single Late Tulip "The Tulip 'Picture', 'Tulipa single late', a fall planted bulb, produces large and vibrant lilac pink flowers on tall stems. Single Late Tulips finis... more	Pink and White Double Late Tulip "The Tulip 'Pink and White', 'Tulipa double late', is a fall planted bulb. Pink and White is a great combination of Angelique and Mount Tacoma tulips.... more
Pink Diamond Single Late Tulip "The Tulip 'Pink Diamond', 'Tulipa single late', a fall planted bulb, produces large and vibrant pastel pink flowers. Single Late Tulips finish off th... more	Pink Impression Darwin Hybrid Tulip "The Tulip 'Pink Impression', 'Tulipa darwin hybrid', is a fall planted bulb. This impressive darwin hybrid variety is one of the largest tulips in ex... more	Portofino Single Late Tulip "The Tulip 'Portofino', 'Tulipa single late', a fall planted bulb, produces large and vibrant white flowers with a red stripe. Single Late Tulips fini... more

Tulip Care - When tulips are done flowering, either snip the stem or deadhead the bloom. However, let the leaves die naturally. This is the time the bulb absorbs the nutrients it needs for next year's growth. When the foliage becomes discolored, remove it to prevent "tulip fire", which can poison your soil. This is also a good time to lift any tulip bulbs that you want to remove from your garden.

Lifting bulbs isn't any more complex than digging them out of the ground or dumping them out of the pot. Usually each bloom produces one good-sized bulb and two smaller offshoots that can be discarded. Allow lifted bulbs to dry naturally. Then store them somewhere cool in an airy container (net produce bags and burlap bags work well) to provide good circulation until next planting time.

Tulip Problems

When tulips produce foliage but no flowers, the most probable cause is damage caused by slugs or snails. Although liquid slug killers are available from most garden centers, most of them are toxic to beneficial organisms and insects in your garden as well as your pets and your family. The easiest way to deter slugs from invading your tulips is to create a barrier of lava rock or diatomaceous earth around your tulips. Both have sharp edges that kill invading pests by cutting into their skin and causing them to dry up. Another effective way to control slugs is with beer traps. Partially filled cans buried up to the lip will attract and drown slugs.

. . . continued

All about Tulip Gardens

by Linda Paquette

Plant bulbs two to three times their height. For compact displays, plant them closely together, but not touching. The root side of a bulb is the more rounded side; the pointed side is the part that will open and sprout foliage and flower.

Container Tulip Tips

Choose container size according to the height of your cultivar and the density of your bulb planting. Plant bulbs the same as you would garden grown-tulips, making sure there is at least ½ inch of soil below the planting.

Plant tulips for indoor forcing in September and October. Place pots in a cool garden spot (outdoors) and cover them with an inch of clean soil. When top growth is about ½ -inch to 1-inch, transfer them indoors to a darkened area with a maximum temperature of 60F. Let the stems lengthen for about three weeks and return them to a lighted area with a slightly higher temperature.

Use fresh soil-based potting mixtures only. Peat based mixtures may burn the roots of your bulbs and soil less mixtures dry too quickly.