My opinion on bulbs to plant for Spring has changed over the last few years. Partly following a visit to the tulip gardens at KeukenHof. But also because I think bulbs in particular are affected by fashions. We’ve seen the Alium rise to fame in the last decade, and also some of the lillies and more ebullient types of tulip.
Being a simple kind of creature, I always thought I tended to prefer very clean, non-showy classics – like Narcisuss Thalia for example. However, I have to say, I’ve become fan of some of the more unusual tulips in recent years. This is because they look fantastic in pots. The best displays of tulips in pots I’ve seen are at Rousham – a fabulous garden in Oxfordshire. And last year I took the opportunity have a quick chat with the head gardener. He reckons the secret is that more is more with bulbs. Get a massive terracotta pot, and plant twenty five vibrant tulips in there. Do them in layers at different heights. And if you’re planting in pots – you can absolutely get away with vibrancy, and some of the more frilly parrot varieties without them looking vulgar. One tip I’m trying this year is to pick many different varieties – all within the same colour palette range – instead I’m varying the textures.
Elspeth Briscoe
