Amateur Gardening 3-Nov-2018

“Tulips from Amsterdam? There is a long, rich history at the root of many of our favourite plants, and whilst we will always associate tulips with Holland, they were in fact first cultivated in Persia in the 10th century. The word ‘tulip’ is derived from the Persian word for turban, for it was a symbolic flower in the old Ottoman Empire. For us, the tulip is one of the great joys of spring – a blast of vibrant, deep rich colour after the gloom of winter. Make sure you plant your bulbs soon to reap their beauty in spring.”…

I ALWAYS think of tulips as the dahlias of spring. Both species are blessed with velvety petals in bold, vibrant colours that sing out from borders or containers, both happily share space with other plants, and both can be bought in assorted heights and with several shapes of flower. If anything, tulips are even more versatile than dahlias because as bulbs, they can also be naturalised in lawns and rockeries, where dwarf species such as ‘Little Beauty’ and ‘Honky Tonk’ can be naturalised alongside fritillaries, snowdrops, narcissus and other spring delights. Tulips give their best when planted in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. Like all bulbs, they dislike heavy soil that sits wet as it encourages rotting, so if yours fits this description then either lighten it by…

1 For a more natural effect, I scattered the bulbs of a mix of tulip varieties on the soil, which had already been enriched with well-rotted compost, and planted them where they landed. 2 As with all bulbs, these went in the ground at two-three times their own height. Put them in the soil with their pointed end facing upwards – although if you fail to do this, they always right themselves and will grow just as well. 3 Give the bulbs a good drenching after planting. If you plant bulbs in shaded soil, it is worth watering them occasionally through the winter as they may miss out on good soakings from the rain.…

THERE is no ‘wrong’ way of planting tulips – however and wherever you decide to grow them, they will shine out and look stunning. But first things first: which plants will you choose? Tulips are divided into 15 sub-sections, largely based on the shape and characteristics of their blooms. Some are like goblets and cups, others have fringed petals, and the ‘parrot’ tulips have irregular petals that resemble the feathers of exotic parakeets. Most flowers are single, but blowsy doubles are available. There are also species tulips, which are often smaller than bedding tulips and last much longer. It is also worth considering the timings of the flowers, as if planned well you can create a succession of colour that lasts right through spring. For example, for a pale display you could start with…

We wait until the weather gets colder to plant tulips to lessen the risk of the disease tulip fire. The problem is caused by the fungus Botrytis tulipae, and symptoms include distorted and twisted leaves that develop brown spots of dead tissue which spreads until they look burned. A covering of grey mould may be seen on damp soil where tulips are growing – the flowers may develop spots and rot. There are no chemical controls available, but risks can be minimised by discarding bulbs that show signs of rot on their outer scales. Infected bulbs should be removed immediately and tulips should be planted elsewhere for at least three years afterwards.…

INDUSTRY leaders have chosen their favourite plants for next year’s gardens. More than 3,500 nurserymen, retailers, parks, landscapers and home gardeners visited the Summer Showcase at Ball Colegrave, the UK’s leading wholesale distributors of seeds and plants. During the three-week event they were asked to choose their favourites for the year ahead from a staggering 1,300 catalogue varieties, 200 new varieties and 700 experimental products on display. They marked their choices with a blue flag, which were counted after the showcase and the winners named. The three over-all most popular varieties were Geranium ‘Sunrise Smokey Eye’, Verbena ‘Showboat Mango Orange’ and Begonia ‘Shooting Star’. Votes were also counted from the trade and public sectors. Both named geranium ‘Sunrise Smokey Eye’ as their Number One choice, but other varieties that caught people’s eye…