A garden without tulips is a garden without spring - these are the words of the famous master of perennial garden art, Karl Foerster.After the gloomy winter months, these plants bring strong color accents to the garden.Under the influence of a gust of wind, they sway their heavy flowers on high legs, making the whole surroundings cheer up. Everyone who looks at them must smile!
Tulips emerge from the ground quite early, as soon as the surface warms up under the influence of warm sunlight. If we took into account the flowering dates of individual varieties when buying tulip bulbs, we will be able to enjoy the we alth of delightful flowers from March to June.
Gardeners have long obtained new varieties by crossing different species of tulips. Today it is impossible to determine their origin.Most of the cultivated tulips are hybrids and cultivars - they are collectively referred to as garden tulip.The natural area of occurrence of the tulip is Southern Europe, North Africa, Asia from Turkey through Iran, Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains, steppes of Kazakhstan, to northeastern China and Japan.
Tulip, as a habitat of the steppe, is an unrefined plant. Thrives well in any slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6-7), well-drained and not too heavy soil.Will not settle in where rainwater stagnates.To fertilize the soil, it is best to use compost, which should be spread over the place of planting bulbs in autumn and around the emerging leaves in spring, before flowering.
Interesting arrangement
Tulips decorate the flowerbed beautifully in the spring. However, when planting bulbs, it is worth thinking about the period after flowering.In this example, white-flowering tulips are accompanied by beautiful plants.In the foreground there are: ground cover epimedium, funkie with white-edged leaves, and brunera with delicate blue flowers.In the background white flowers of magnificent hearts shine. Once the tulip flowers and leaves are gone, the bedding will keep a nice look.
In order to enjoy the colorful spectacle of flowering tulips in spring, plant them in early autumn - in September, and by the end of October at the latest. This will allow the bulbs to develop as many roots as possible before the onset of winter. We plant the bulbs at a depth of about 8 cm in varietal and color groups.We can grow them in rock gardens, in flower beds with other plants, under shrubs and trees.Despite being completely frost-resistant, it is worth covering the bulbs with mulch (bark, leaves), especially in a sheltered place. When planting tulips every year, it makes sense to keep crop rotation. Tulips can grow for many years only on sandy soils.
Under such conditions, the onions may dry out when dormant. Otherwise, after the leaves turn yellow, they need to be dug out, cleaned, the incoming bulbs must be separated and then placed in a ventilated place.The wide-toothed forks that do not damage the bulbs, but also earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms are perfect for digging out bulbs.
One of the basic care treatments, apart from systematic weeding, is the removal of fading flowers. This treatment will extend the flowering period of this well-known and highly valued bulbous plant.
Spring arrangements
At the end of winter, nurseries and garden centers sell sprouted tulips in pots with well-shaped flower buds.They can be used to create spring arrangements in containers.Tulips blend in perfectly with other spring flowers, such as narcissus, primroses and violets.They are also suitable for covering colorless empty spaces in the rebate. Onion beauties are distinguished by vitality, they can withstand even late frosts without harm.
Tulip care
Tulip bulbs should be planted in autumn in a sunny place with well-drained soil. In the spring, after the vegetation has started, we feed the plants with complete fertilizer, which we sprinkle around the shoots and lightly mix it with the soil. Regularly prune the withered flowers that wither, leaving the leaves intact.Tulips need them to gather nutrients for the next flowering yearMany varieties from the Darwin group, as well as lily-shaped, botanical and wild tulips are distinguished by their high vitality .
