This is the first year I have had tulips blooming this early but this is the first year I have planted classes of tulips I had never tried before. I love tulips but they mostly decline or worse yet, don't come back at all after one year. I replant. But I decided to do some research and find some tulips that will come back year after year after year and are not fussy and will not dissapear. That means Species, Emperor, Kaufmanniana and Greigii Classes of tulips.

Yes, others do come back sometimes and in some gardens. But these are tried and true perennials.

Lets start with Species Tulip humilis violacea. I got mine from Colorblends and it has a black base. Scheepers carries a strain with a yellow base. These things are small, as big as a large flowered crocus and only a few inches tall. But the color is outstanding and they really pop.


Planted in my front yard raised bed where they can really be seen well as they are in the very front right off the sidewalk. This bed is just full of daylilies and tulops with daffodils in back. The larger bottom terrace alone has over 500 tulips in it.

Ok, now to move to the backyard. This is a daylily bed here and has some lilies in between for late spring color. I wanted tulips in there for early color. I wanted early tulips and I did not want to replant each year so they had to be done once and stay forever. I decided on Greigii tulips. I bought four types, Goldwest, Large Copper, March of Time and Sundance. I put the four in each hole so that I had four of every one in each grouping. I was wanting a sea of color. It didn't quite end up like I planned. Sundance is blooming first and the other colors are barely showing buds. So I have a bed of one color in succesion instead of all colors at once.



closeup of sundance


And a low angle.


Looking toward this garden from a way different angle. You can see the row of Darwin tulips there in front of a daylily bed. This will be the third spring for them so they are doing well.

Stunning! Great job. Wish I could grow tulips here in South Carolina that would bloom each year. Maybe I'll be able to when I move to the Piedmont in a few years.

Rita,

Front and back are gorgeous! I love, love the Tulip humilis violacea. I wonder if I can grow them in Georgia. I also like the Sundance.

I have regular, old fashioned tulips from my mother blossoming now. They are about done though.

Arlene, your tulips are gorgeous. And I have plenty of the much more regular tulips also. But they don't even have buds yet.

Humilis violacea needs a chill period but not much. I believe that you could grow them just fine in Zone 8. Small bulbs but plant them deep, about 6 inches, maybe more.

Then I am going to get some!!! Last year my daffy's barely bloomed but I had just moved them the previous fall and last winter we really didn't have a winter so that's probably why. Maybe they won't bloom if that happens again, but usually we do get enough of a chill period. I'm so excited! I love them!!

Almost all my tulips and daffys and hyacinths are from my mother who is 86 and giving up gardening so she's giving me everything since my two sisters don't really garden. I have ordered a few apricot daffys and I got a few red tulips from Lowe's on sale, but that's about it.

I love what you have done with so many bulbs but I don't think I have the energy to plant that many! But I'll probably get 50 or so of the Humilis violaceas.

I tried them and was so happy with how pretty they are that I plan on getting more this fall. I got mine at Colorblends. They have a black base. The ones at Scheeprs have a yellow base. Apparently there are mutiple strains of these and minor differences.

I like the black base. Copied Colorblends to a sticky. I try and keep a running list of "WANTS"

It's a long list.

Okay, it looks like I'll be getting 100 since that is minimum. And I won't have any problem finding places for them either.

Wow Rita... I love quantity. Really nice.
Love yours too Arlene.
Haven't been to my garden for over a week. Hmmm, much longer than that.
Will hope to be able to take some pics tomorrow.

Colin, have you just been too busy or is it the weather? Can't wait to see your pictures!

Lovely, Rita.

I use a lot of spring bulbs too, but have been a bit confused by the longevity of our species tulips.
Bed below is April 10, 2011, the snowdrops and earlier crocuses are done.
The red here is species tulips.
The pink is Chionodoxa 'Giant Pink'/'Pink Giant'.

I find that the species tulips don't last more than a couple of years.
Thinking it's either our summer watering of beds (we have a lot of perennials) or voles (meadow mice).
The latter can mine out edible bulbs.

Since the Chionodoxa do last and spread and I keep needing to replant, especially crocuses, I'm thinking it's voles.
However, I've never seen any evidence of them in that particular bed.

Note of caution re Chionodoxa: the blue one (Chionodoxa forbesii/lucilliae) is (to me) a terrible spreader.
It doesn't stay in clumps like the bigger pink one, but seeds all over the place.
The voles don't seem to eat it (or it tolerated our summer watering - that is, until I finally managed to eradicate it).

Well Chionodoxa is welcome to spread around here but it really doesn't. I do plan on getting bulbs this fall and just planting them around at various spots in the garden. A neighbor has it spreading in the lawn.

Species tulips. Well, I only know what I read and what everyone saiz and that is that they return and return and return. I would blame the voles for your problems. This is the first year for species tulips for me and I am pleased. Will be getting into many more types of species this fall.

Charlie, your spring bed is really pretty!

abhege said:
I have regular, old fashioned tulips from my mother blossoming now. They are about done though.

Arlene, do you need to prechill tulips there where you are? Do tulips return for you?

abhege said:Okay, it looks like I'll be getting 100 since that is minimum. And I won't have any problem finding places for them either.

I bought 50 last year but I noticed that 100 is the minimum this year. It wouldn't be a problem for me either as I will be ordering more for this fall and have lots of places to plant.

Thanks Rita.

Re the blue Chionodoxa:
As you indicate, personal taste.

To me, the extreme.
A place I saw in Niagara-On-The-Lake, On, April 17, 2009.







The blue Chionodoxa doesn't respect property lines!

Charlie, the Chionodoxa looks great to me.

Must say, Rita, I like neat perennial gardens,
with colour in blocks.

Very suspicious of the term "drift".
To me, it's a synonym for untidy!

Well, to each his own. It's your garden and it should be the way you want it to be.

Very nice thread! I love all the tulips and daffodils, Sundance is gorgeous!! I do not have much luck with tulips here for some reason. I will not plant that many bulbs for something that might come up?
I would like to try the perennial tulips or spices.
I think the lady across the street has some of those Chionodoxa, should I ask for some? Are they invasive at all?

Charlie, nice flower bed!!