Gardens by Colleen
  • Welcome
  • Annual Plant Sale
  • Must See Gardens
  • Resources
  • My Garden
  • Giving Back
  • Contact Me
Gardens by Colleen
  • Welcome
  • Annual Plant Sale
  • Must See Gardens
  • Resources
  • My Garden
  • Giving Back
  • Contact Me

Elicit Emotions with Tulips

By Colleen O'Neill Nice


Several years ago I began my search for the perfect tulip to compliment my spring garden. First, I desired a tulip that would perennialize. My strategy was to add new combinations every year that would accentuate the existing tulips and forgo the task of replanting hundreds of bulbs every fall. Second, I needed to choose a mid or late blooming cultivar. With unpredicable weather, I did not want heavy snow or late frost to sabotage my efforts. And lastly, I dreamed of a color that would coordinate with my existing plant palette, as well as partner with the terra cotta backdrop of my brick home.


So I started my research with the book “Tulips for North American Gardens” by Brent and Becky Heath. The Heaths, owners of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs for nearly 40 years, describe the Darwin hybrids as long stemmed, single, midseason bloomers. A cross between the Darwin tulips and Emperor tulips, the Darwin hybrids are among the most weather resistant. According to the Heaths, “We have seen many instances around the country...where these tulips have perennialized and bloomed faithfully for 15 to 20 years under good growing conditions. We have to admit that this group of true perennials – the regal giants of the tulip kingdom – are our favorites.” The Darwin hybrids produce enormous blooms lasting four to five weeks during long, cool springs. They grow 18 to 22” tall and are highly virus and disease resistant. Just the tulip that I was looking for!


Prior to making my cultivar selection, I called on my husband, an expert in color. Now I highly value my husband’s opinion and generally listen to his suggestions, but often go in a totally different direction. And this is precisely what happened with the tulips. He, being somewhat traditional, had visions of hundreds of flaming red tulips on tall arching stems. Clusters of petite amethyst muscari creating a royal carpet of contrast beneath. Well, he didn’t say it exactly like that, but you get the picture. I dreamed of something a bit more trendy, a color that was warm and bright and distinct. A color underused – for tulips.


So, I reread Christopher Lloyd ‘s book “Colour for Adventurous Gardeners.” Each chapter describes a color and the feelings it arouses within a garden. Lloyd explains that white appears “...cold, staring and assertive” while yellow emerges as “cheerful, stimulating... it lifts the spirits.” Pink is viewed as “harmonious and reassuring...the most feminine color,” continues Lloyd. Reading the book stirred my emotions and brought back memories of my experiences at Great Dixter back in 2002. The wonderful color combinations engineered by Lloyd and head gardener, Fergus Garrett, were not only mesmerizing, but deeply impassioned. I, too, wanted to design a spring garden that would arouse emotions.


I planted 250 tulips that autumn and had many sleepless nights over the long, cold winter. I visualized endless channels of soil dug by voracious voles orchestrating fabulous bulb feasts. Nightmares about muted, muddy hues crept into my head. But, as the warmth of spring lured plants from their underground dormancy, the tulips grew very stately and tall. Their huge buttercup yellow bowls painted with scarlet-orange flames were so much more exquisite than I could ever have imagined. Their black interiors edged in gold made this cultivar especially captivating when backlit by the sun. The right color choice had been made and was evident by the photo snapping, finger-pointing drive-bys; smiling neighborhood walkers; and honking school bus drivers. Spring had arrived and it glowed opulent and orange.


Introduced in the US by John Scheepers back in 1951, Tulipa ‘Orange Bowl’ was my first Darwin hybrid. The following fall I planted T. ‘Daydream’ to fill in any gaps, since ‘Orange Bowl’ was unavailable. ‘Daydream’ proved to be just as magical with changing colors of soft apricot, warm orange and yellow, with an unexpected bonus – fragrance. They actually looked like creamsicles on sticks! Though the flowers were not as large as ‘Orange Bowl’, they complimented each other perfectly. I also spiced things up with lily flowering T. ‘Ballerina.’ This award winner glows with marigold-orange petals highlighted with scarlet flames. Feathered lemon-yellow edges top off each petal. Fully open, ‘Ballerina’ flaunts a red interior and has a citrus-like fragrance. (See chart below for a list of popular orange tulips)


I used several tactics to encourage my tulips to perennialize. Before planting, I selected areas in my garden where soil had been amended with organic matter and drainage was good. I tried not to plant in areas where I grow annuals, since the annuals need irrigation all season and the bulbs prefer a drier soil. I planted my bulbs deep (8 to 12” using a power drill and bulb auger) to buffer them from severe weather and also to deter rodents. Depending on the size of the beds, viewing distance and overall scale of trees and shrubs, I grouped 10-20 bulbs together for optimum impact.


Although soil and drainage are critical to perennialization of tulips, I also followed a rigid schedule for fertilization. Recommendations from John Scheepers, one of the oldest and most prestigious flower bulb importers, include top-dressing both new and mature flower bulb plantings three times a year. Use a granular time release 4-10-6 fertilizer. Start in the early spring when foliage first pokes through the soil, then fertilize again in the late spring or early summer just before the flowers start to die back. Finally, fertilize again in the fall to develop a healthy root system. Broadcast at a rate of one heaping teaspoon per bulb or as directed on the package. After planting new bulbs, gently tap down the soil, then top dress with fertilizer. Be sure to water plantings gently if no rain is expected within a week. Nutrients will be released slowly over time. Do not add fertilizer to the bottom of the planting hole. Fertilizer can burn the roots and cause stunted growth resulting in few or no flowers.


Over the years I have added many more bulbs to my spring garden. The bright yellow of Narcissus ‘King Alfred Improved’ looks spectacular with orange tulips, highlighting the subtle yellow colorations. Grape hyacinths and purple alliums offer tantalizing contrast. I also experiment with splashes of color adding white, red and even pink tulips to my existing display for a welcoming spring surprise.


If perennials are your preference, try the very dependable and long blooming rockcress (Arabis alpina) in white or violet. It is sweetly scented, deer resistant and blooms profusely for 4 weeks or more. Use forget-me-nots, violets, columbine, siberian bugloss (brunnera) and Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’ to bring in contrasting colors of blue and purple. Bright yellow can be added with leopard’s bane (doronicum) and several varieties of the drought tolerant epimediums. For a pastel palette of hardy early spring bloomers try lamium, bleeding hearts, hellebores, tellima, primroses and sweet woodruff. A refreshing bright green splash of color with amazing textures can be added with ferns. Some of my favorite early spring sprouting fiddleheads include lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) and the spinulose wood fern (Dryopteris carthusiana). Hardy, low maintenance and deer/rabbit resistant, ferns are the queen of green in my garden.


Although orange can be a challenging color, especially in a spring garden, it is ultimately exhilarating when combined with complimentary and contrasting hues. It cries out the loudest for attention, while exuding a warmth and cheerfulness as it ushers in the spring. Finding the right tulip for my garden has been challenging, yet extremely gratifying. I look forward to the explosion of color every spring and the reaction it elicits. 



Printed in the Upstate Gardeners’ Journal, May-June 2011

Popular Orange Tulips


Name                        Color                                              Fragrant    Kind      Flowering Period      Height    Zones

Apricot          soft salmon, pale rose flames            yes           single               early                     14-16”      3-7
Beauty


Bestseller    reddish pink to orange to salmon    yes            single               early                     12-14”     3-8


General         marigold orange with yellow             yes             single               early                   14-16”     3-8
de Wetsoft


Striped          buttercup yellow and orange             no               single               early               18-24”         4-9
Bellona


Dillenburg     brick orange with flush of yellow    yes              single                      late            18-24”      3-9


Orange Nassau    bright orange scarlet                     no       double (peony)        early             12”           3-7


Charming    apricot with dusky apricot center       no       double (peony)         late              18”          3-7
Beauty


Orange          nasturtium-orange with pink glow      yes       double (peony)       late           14”            3-7
Princess


Sensual            rich tangerine with fringed petals      no      double (peony)        late         16-18”      3-7
Touch


Annie          warm orange with soft salmon edge       yes            Triumph        mid-season     18”       3-7
Schilder


King’s              vivid dark coral with orange edges       no              Triumph        mid-season      22”     3-7
Orange


Prinses Irene      bright orange with purple flames     yes           Triumph        mid-season     12-14”    3-7


Tequila              yellow to golden, tangerine to ruby       no           Triumph        mid-season     16-18”   3-7
Sunrise 


Ad Rem           deep orange, yellow edged petals            yes         Darwin hybrid        mid-late      20”     3-7


American          pale yellow edged in red and apricot      no        Darwin Hybrid        mid-late      22”     3-7
Dream


Apeldoorn's             red, orange-yellow                                   no         Darwin hybrid        mid-late      24”    3-8
Elite


Beauty of Apeldoorn  orange-yellow-red striped              no        Darwin hybrid           mid-late     24”    4-8


Daydream       yellow to soft apricot orange                        yes        Darwin hybrid          mid-late      20”    3-8


Orange Bowl      yellow flowers with orange flames          no        Darwin hybrid           mid-late    20”    3-8 


Ballerina        yellow/orange/red, feathered petals           yes        Lily Flowering              late          22”    3-7


Fokker Fan Fan         bright orange with red flames           yes        Lily Flowering              late         16-18”  3-7


Artist                   salmon-rose, purple, green markings       no          Viridiflora                late               14”       3-8


Golden Artist       rich golden orange with green                   no          Viridiflora                late           14-16”   3-7


Apricot Parrot    bright apricot-coloured, pink striped       no          Parrot                       mid-late   24”       3-8


Orange Favourite  bright orange marked with green          yes         Parrot                      mid-late     14”     4-8


Salmon     salmon, green, cream, yellow highlights              no         Parrot                      mid-late     20”     4-7
Parrot 


Early Harvest      orange scarlet with yellow center                no         Kaufmanniana       early       8-10”    3-8


Shakespeare       red edged in salmon, yellow center             no         Kaufmanniana        early      8-10”    3-8


Cape Cod       apricot, yellow, red, mottled foliage                  no          Greigii                 mid-late     10-12”  3-7


Professor    persimmon-red tips, pale yellow edges             no           Greigii                  mid-late      12”       3-7
de Monsseri


Sweet Lady   pink, red, orange; purple mottled foliage        no          Greigii                  mid-late      6-10”   3-7


Juan         orange, yellow, purple mottled foliage                     no          Fosteriana        early-mid  16-18”  3-9


Orange Emperor    carrot orange, yellow base                           no         Fosteriana         early          16-18”   3-8


Orange Bouquet   orange-red with yellow base                        no     multi-flowered    mid-late       20”     3-8


Tangerine Beauty    fire red with orange flames                        no          Species                  late               8”     5-8

On-line bulb sources:

Brent and Becky’s Bulbs
www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com


Dutch Gardens
www.dutchgardens.com


John Scheepers
www.johnscheepers.com


McClure & Zimmerman
www.mzbulb.com


Messelaar Bulb Company
www.tulipbulbs.com


Netherland Bulb
www.netherlandbulb.com


Van Bourgondien and Sons
www.dutchbulbs.com


Van Engelen Inc.
www.vanengelen.com


White Flower Farm
www.whiteflowerfarm.com

    Copyright © 2023 Gardens by Colleen - All Rights Reserved.

    Powered by GoDaddy

    • Welcome
    • Annual Plant Sale
    • Must See Gardens
    • Resources
    • My Garden
    • Giving Back
    • Contact Me