Tulip Garden
Tulips have become so common that we don’t think twice about them, but there was a time when these beautiful bulbs were worth their weight in gold. As long as squirrels don't ruin your blubs they will bloom perennially. Originally found free growing in the mountains of Persia, Tulips traveled into Europe with the Turks. The can propagate through off-springs, seeds or micro-propagation and come in a variety of types, each with its own characteristics.
Tulips should be planted in the fall. All tulips need a period of dormancy to bloom properly. The colder your region requires planting blubs in early fall. If you live in a warmer or more tmperate part of the country you will want to plant at the end of the fall season. If you live in a region that doesn’t have cold winters, set your bulbs in the refrigerator for eight weeks before planting them in early spring; this allows them to achieve a sufficiently long dormant period. Give your local landscaping business a call for more tips
Tulips are available in early, mid and late blooming varieties and in dozens of beautiful colors. Singles generally have smooth, simple petal structures and are used in formal plantings. Doubles look very similar to peonies with multiple petal layers. Fringed tulips are almost lace-like and parrot tulips have streaks of various colors along their petals. The enormous selection is likely to keep you happily engaged in picking your spring show for a while. Tulips look great when they are planted in clusters of the same type.
Blubs have a wide range of prices, you want to buy the best quality that fits your budget. A good landscape business will be able to point you in a good direction for a nice selection of bulbs. Choose the best quality tulip blubs for a heartier and more robust blooming year after year. Once the buying of the blubs is done the next step in getting your garden ready to accept them for growing.
Hard packed soil is not a friend to tulip blubs, make your soil loose. The can be planted in either a natural or formal pattern. Multiply the width of the bulb, multiply by 3 and you have an appropriate planting depth. This allows you to plants different bulbs together by layering them. Layering bulbs or planting species that flower at different parts of the summer ensures colorful views for larger periods of time.
Some people palnt their blubs in a random fashion to mimic a more natural garden. A formal setting will likely have many of the same flowers placed together in carefully spaced rows and columns. Mix in some compost in the area you wish to plants. Dig down to the appropriate depth, scatter some rock phosphorus in the bottom of the hole and place the tulip bulbs into the hole; point upwards. One way to not attract pests is to use rock phosphorus instead of bone meal. Pat the soil in place loosely and be sure not to tip the bulbs over. That’s it.
If you have a serious problem with squirrels digging up your bulbs you may want to protect them by cutting a piece of chicken wire to match the size of your hole. Curl over the edges of the wire and place it on top of the bulbs before you backfill the hole. While this won’t eliminate all squirrel activity it will significantly reduce their depredations. All the supplies needed for planting and protection should be available at a landscape supply store.
