The Obsessive Gardener

This content is syndicated via RSS from the blog: Obsessive Gardener

My tulips have pretty much reached the end for this year, but I realized that there were a few tulips that I hadn't shown off yet.

These are Angelique (mid-height, late). I highly recommend them. I first saw them at the Minnesota Arboretum. They look like a rose and peony had babies. I planted them near the chives so that the chives might lend a baby's breath look. I think it worked out.

They come with a bonus, they are muti-flowering. Each bulb produces about 5 flowers, so it doesn't take many to really fill in an area!

Maureen turned out to be one of my tallest tulip ever. It is very graceful looking and pure white. I think that they resemble boiled eggs.
I may have to move them -- I planted them at the front of the bed thinking that they would be stout!


Exotic Emperor (mid-height, mid-season) was a substitute for the Spring Green that I couldn't get my hands on. I planted them in the Asian garden due to the "emperor" part of its name. SSB (my husband) didn't like them at first, he thought they weren't very exciting; but when he saw that the green stripes stuck around for the entire show, he was digging them.


Claudia (mid-height, mid-season) were supposed to be a lily flowering tulip. I thought that they could have been a little more edgy, like the Maytime (a 9 year old tulip which has multiplied over the years and is one of my husband's favorites) -- but I enjoyed Claudia all the same. They have a nice glow about them.

The Shirleys (tall, mid-season) seem to be over whatever was bothering them last year. They are in perfect form. I thought by now they would have multiplied from the original three that I purchased (another 9 year old tulip!), but I guess I should just be happy that they come back so great year after year.

Are these hostas?
No! They are Chinatown tulips! My husband LOVES Greenland tulips, so I thought he might like these too. He does. They are the only tulip that I have seen with this kind of pattern on the leaves. They are great looking before they even bloom.

The flower doesn't look that spectacular when it first opens, but as it ages, the dirty pink brightens and looks fantastic -- plus the leaves keep the white edge throughout.

They are short, but you'd want these to front anyway to show off the leaves.

Blue Heron (mid-height, late-season) was another tulip that looked less than appealing when it first bloomed. It looked muddy. But as it matured, the lavender filled the flower and these dark stripes appeared. It is a good thing that I gave it some time to redeem itself. I was ready to toss it when I first saw it; but now I want more!

There was something about Sweetheart (mid-height, mid-season) that caught my attention as I ended up buying several boxes of them from Menards. They were just what that spot needed! They looked like butter when they first began to bloom, but as they matured, the edges turned white making them even more beautiful. They went perfectly with the Tequila Sunrise tulips and the White Emperor tulips in the background.

Paradise Island (late-season) were touted to be "the rose tulip". They do look like roses, but they were also supposed to multi-flowering -- that didn't happen. I still like them though, but I wouldn't pay as much as I did for them.


These Albas (mid-season) I got from Menards for about $3-$4 a box. They are a deeper red and look similar to the Paradise Island tulips. Although they aren't as full a peony tulip, I would get more because I have a plan for a grouping. Plus they were cheap enough.

Both the Albas and Paradise Islands are shorties. Plant to the front.

I had bought some of these Bright Parrot (mid-height, mid-late season) tulips two years ago from Brecks for my son. He loves fire colors and these fit that. These were the ones that the tulip picker came right into my yard after! She had pulled them up even in her zest to obtain these humungous beauties.

I liked them too, so when I saw them at Menards, I grabbed an armful of them. The ones I got from Menards bloomed just as big as the ones that I had gotten from Brecks. This has convinced me that Menards will be my first stop for tulips. They rock!

Another tulip I got from Menards, Midnight Queen (late season). I really wasn't expecting much from them, in fact, I almost didn't buy them. I'm glad that I did though. They really do look black! The flowers weren't as large as I thought they might be, but their color makes up for that.

They are another tall one, so put them to the middle to back of the bed.


And of course, my favorite tulip -- Princess Irene (short, mid-season). These tulips are 7 years old and still going strong and slowly multiplying. I don't even feed them bone meal because I forget that they are there when it comes time for a round of feeding. They don't seem to mind the neglect.
Strangely, as much as I love them, I have yet to purchase more.

Read More at Obsessive Gardener...