SPRING BULBS 

Spring bulbs can be a delightful part of spring and can be fun to plant in a very pleasant time of year to work in the yard. But before you get started there are a number of techniques that will make your planting more successful.

The Team Concept: In using any bulbs, the team concept will be useful but it is even more important in using tulips. Groups of bulbs have similar characteristics including height, shape and bloom time. Color is independent of groups, so you can get almost any color within the groups. The best use of the bulbs will be to use all one group in one area of the garden. Then use other groups in other areas.

Some examples of groups below Greigii: Mostly early short tulips some with a distinctive red modeling in the leaf. Red Riding Hood 6-8" red single tulip

Kaufmanniana: Early short tulips elongated flower head, some have red mottling in leaf. Stresa 6-8' red and yellow single tulip.

Single Early: Early medium height classic shaped tulip in many colors. Apricot Beauty 12-18'" tall apricot pink single tulip.

Fosteriana: Early to mid season, medium sized large flower headed tulip, Orange Emperor series a nice example, 14" tall, in orange.

Single.Darwin hybrid: Mid season tall tulips in a classic form in many colors .Apeldoorn 22" tall strong red color strong growing plant.

Lily flowered tulips: Pointed arched petals give the "lily" shape, mid to late season. Marilyn 20" tall red with a contrasting white edge.

Single late tulips: late season classic tulips many color. Broadway  20" tall, large white and red flower.

Double Late tulips: late season, medium height, double flower, with many colors. Angelique 18" pink double flower.

Three games:

Work masses of one type of bulb or one group in an area using 10-200 bulbs per mass. Then you can work another area using another group that will give you different color, bloom time or height. This gives you maximum impact in one area that then can flow over an area or over time.

Cottage look: this technique uses different colors that all bloom about the same time. While the look is "natural" it takes some planning to get the proper mix of bloom time and heights and still have a "wild and crazy" look. Mixing short and tall tulips can give added depth, but float the short ones in and out in the front tier.

Naturalizing : Stop! This will not work with most bulbs. It works with daffs, wood hyacinth and that's about it. The bulbs are planted in the wooded area in drifts normally of one type of bulb. Solid single yellow daffs are best for the long term.