| No garden would be complete without the bright, colorful heads of the tulips swaying in the breeze in the spring. The tulip is the official flower of the month of March. You will know that spring has arrived when you see the tulips pushing their way up through the soil. Tulips are classified as a perennial, but sometimes need to be treated as an annual. Put your bulbs in the ground between September and November. Tulips like well drained, loamy soil. Make sure they will get full sun. Add a little sand to the soil when planting. Plant the bulb at a depth that is 3 times it's length, with the pointed end up. Don't overcrowd the bulbs, and if you notice once they have bloomed that there are too many in one spot, dig them up and separate the bulbs. If you are mixing tulips in with other plants, do your other plantings first so you don't disturb the bulbs once they are in the ground. Once your tulips have blossomed, it's ok to 'deadhead' the flowers once they have died, but not the leaves. If you are using your tulips in a vase, they will stay fresh for about a week if you add a little sugar to the water. There are over 150 species of tulips in a rainbow of colors, so your garden can be a showplace all summer, since different tulips bloom at different times. |
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