Gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin reveals the common problem that can wreak havoc over one of the nation’s favourite plants – and what can be done about it
Now is the time to plant tulip bulbs for spring blooms(Image: Getty Images/500px)
There is no better gardening job in November than choosing and planting tulip bulbs.
Horticulturally speaking it’s the right time of year – the ground is not frozen but is cold enough to reduce the possibility of a fungal disease called tulip fire.
If you are further south or in milder areas, you can leave it as late as December.
Getting them in the ground now allows time for root development so the plant is well settled in for blooming next spring.
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Psychologically it’s a good time as well. There’s something uplifting as you press these bulbs into the earth and imagine them in flower, the warmth of a spring day and some sunshine on your face.
Tulips are an easy way of adding colour and delight to beds and borders(Image: Steve Satushek via Getty Images)
Tulips have had an enduring popularity over the centuries. In 17th century Netherlands they were such a novelty and craze that the trading of bulbs reached exorbitant prices, at its height sometimes the equivalent of the price of a house. Known as Tulip Mania, this is considered to be one of the first recorded instances of a speculative economic bubble that collapsed.
Despite prices crashing, they’ve never gone out of fashion and happily they are reasonably priced and easily sourced.
Unfortunately most tulip flowers do not return as big and colourful as their first year so many gardeners treat them as annuals and start afresh every November. There are exceptions to this, particularly if you plant smaller species tulips that can naturalise.
Darwin hybrids are also a good investment as they will return year on year and are easy, low maintenance tulips. They have tall elegant stems and big showy flowers that open wide out to around 6ins in diameter.
Tulip bulbs can be planted in the ground or in pots(Image: Getty)
The flowers are the classic tulip shape and come in rich jewel-like colours. Examples include ‘Apeldoorn Elite’ – a rich orange red that makes a great cut flower – and ‘Apricot Impression’ which has delicious apricot, pink and salmon petals.
There are also softer colours such as the icy pink of ‘Silver Cloud’ and new introduction ‘Apricot Pride’ which has delicate pale peachy pink flowers.
Tulips look great grouped together in pots, either in single or mixed colours. In borders, they can sometimes look a bit sparse with bare soil around them so consider some companion planting.
Choose plants that will complement your choices. Bedding daisies are the cultivated form of the common lawn daisy and have been bred to have bigger flowers in pink, red or white. They are compact and neat.
Tulips come in all sorts of colours(Image: Getty Images)
Some pretty pink pomponette daisies can pair well with a similar coloured tulip or as a contrast to white or purple varieties such as ‘Queen of the Night’.
Myosotis, or Forget-me-not, is another popular choice as a filler around the base of tulips.
The pretty sprays of blue flowers create a frothy carpet beneath bulbs and complement pastel colours. For stronger contrast, wallflowers come in rich oranges and reds. Early flowering primulas and pansies can all be used to great effect as well. Plant in your sunniest spot and in well drained soil.
Tulips are native to the mountains of Turkey and steppes of central Asia where they enjoy free draining soil and long warm summers.
If you have very heavy soil you will probably get better results growing in containers with free draining soil.
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