dressing up the gutter

I used to hate orange (?) but now I love it (equally inexplicable) and these little guys are lovely planted along the street

Great color. Great banner. Nice one, Dirt.

Striking, vivid color

Great banner Dirt!

Thank you!

dirtdorphins said: dressing up the gutter

I used to hate orange (?) but now I love it (equally inexplicable) and these little guys are lovely planted along the street

Great piece of info there!. If they are really dressing up your gutter along the street that means that those species tulips ( or more probably recent crosses of them) enjoy the seepage moisture that collects underground in a gutter. I live in a similar environment like yours. Dry, relatively high up, with stones popping up everywhere, poor soils, mostly lean, and the potential for growing many, many different temperate species that come from exactly that type of environment. I'm discovering recently that most of the Penstemons from 'bone dry' environments actually enjoy underground seepage moisture. So do Heucheras, Lewisias, Eriogonums, and I suppose a myriad of the small bulbs ( Calochortus, Erythroniums, Muscari, etc.) . Here with your comment I just connected dots...
The other part the hate/love component just shows how easily anyone, (including myself obviously) can polarize about creation. My solution is very simple: I learnt to discard emotional attachments that polarize creation. If it has been created ( specially directly by above) it must contain beauty, hence it will ,at one point in my journey, become useful for my goals. I keep it in the back of my memory. At some point the colour, texture, form, amongst many other qualities, will resonate inside. There I will find myself trying to grow it and add it to my gardening scheme. Again...
Arturo

Beautiful banner, Dirt! I used to hate orange too, but now love it. Inexplicable is the perfect word for that turnaround, lol!

Dirt, love your story and love the color orange also. I have Hardy Poinsettia's all around my garden beds and I absolutely love their brilliant orange colors in the fall.

Dirt fantastic picture and I'll bet the whole planting looks spectacular - especially for a "gutter". Is that tulipa sprengeri ?

Thank you all!
It's Tulipa whittallii, which got reclassified as a synonym for orphanidea, but it is a distinct form.
I was thrilled to find the real thing

That seepage effect is real, and I wish I had realized it more fully in the beginning. I wish I had the time and energy to redo the streetside planting with that in mind to take advantage of it better too. Oh well, incremental progress is still progress right?

OMG - I went to my bulb order last year and I ordered/planted Tulipa orphanidea Flava and Tulipa whittallii Considering the success of yours, does that mean they like moist (but well drained?) soil?

Well drained, definitely!
I have them equally happy in a dry-dry-dry area as well so I don't think they need a moist soil.

dirtdorphins said: Well drained, definitely!
I have them equally happy in a dry-dry-dry area as well so I don't think they need a moist soil.

If I'm guessing correct, they need dry-dry-dry soil on top and some moisture way below. Yes dirt we go through phases of understanding our gardens... but isn't it great when one gets the fine tune to it. In my case it is opening a new venue for my still in project rocky gardens with minimal watering. This time of the year I really am picky about what I can grow. We are in full rationing our watering over the farm. Eventually we'll build dams/reservoirs...yes wonderful projects for sometime in the future...meanwhile save up water as much as possible and
still enjoy a colourful garden year round...

Arturo

dirtdorphins said: Well drained, definitely!
I have them equally happy in a dry-dry-dry area as well so I don't think they need a moist soil.

I discovered dry-dry can also be used to rein in super-energetic plants too (runners in other words) I love Geranium himalayense Derek Cook but it's a serious runner here so I now grow it in our parking lot road gravel

They sure brighten up the dreary grey street background. I love tulips! Thanks for a beautiful banner!

it's always amazing what the extremes can do to tame the thugs of the garden

I am a day late to the party but beautiful blooms! Warm colors like orange are great!

Dirt ~ Bright and cheerful to liven up our winter. Thank you so much for the lovely banner.