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Gardeners' musings

Your tulips were made for kissin'...

Posted by: James Alexander-Sinclair, 13 November 2007, 08.53AM

Tulips November is the month to plant tulips. There are few things more wonderful in this world than to cradle a tulip bulb in your hand; the rustling wispy-crispy skin and the smooth, slightly clammy flesh. Supremely organised and efficient gardeners will already have bought their bulbs. I may be too late to help this year but these are my top tulips. To be perfectly accurate these are some of my top tulips as there are too many to fit in here.

  • Tulipa 'White Triumphator' - the shape and colour of angels

  • T. 'Ballerina' - soaring orange

  • T. 'Negrita' - beetroot coloured

  • T. 'Queen of the Night' - dark and truly gorgeous

  • T. 'Anthraceit' - flowers like the backsides of turkeys (but prettier)

  • T. tarda - early and peppery scented

    I could go on for ever but it would cause people to doze off: instead I will share three of my tulip planting rules (there are more but I am, as ever, aware of the dozing off problem).

    Firstly - a yellow tulip is a waste of space. Not because they are not lovely ('West Point') but because by the time May comes along I am sick to the back teeth of ruddy yellow. We have been flooded by daffodils in every shape - short, tall, fat, thin etc - but every single one is yellow (yes, I know that some are creamy white but they are still tainted by the yellow of their friends and relations). They are even worse if planted in ruler-straight rows interspersed with red ones. Looks too much like a floral representation of the Spanish Flag. Tulips should be different: they should announce a new beginning. To be a yellow tulip is like being the second girl to leap topless from the cake: fine but no longer a novelty.

    Secondly - ten tulips in a container look smashing: ten tulips in a border look pathetic.

    Thirdly - be wary of the tartier elements: an excess of predatory parrots and flouncing doubles could easily end in tears.

    Now all we have to do is wait...

    Comments

    • kathleenc

      15 November 2007, 04.59PM

      Any idea where I can buy tulipa anthraceit? Googling produces question "do I mean anthracite?". I don't like your incessant need for ever more bizarre descriptions; ie turkey's backsides and topless leaping girls!

    • annemarie

      18 November 2007, 10.20AM

      Personally love the descriptions..far more fun than saying a deep purple tulip with splayed out petals.

      Also agree with the comment on daffs the only place I really love them is in the valleys of wales nestling amongst the dry stone walls and drifting through the fields with little lambs running around..breathtaking. But in garden borders I find them rather uninspiring.

    • The Garden Monkey

      18 November 2007, 09.15PM

      I disagree with Kathleenc - too much garden writing is earnest, but deadly dull. Keep up the excellent work, James. Your pieces are a delight.

    • James A-S

      19 November 2007, 05.40PM

      Kathleen, I bought some Tulip Anthraceit only a week or so ago from Jacques Amand in Stanmore. Try www.jacquesamand.co.uk (I give you this lead even though you don't like my descriptions!)

    • kathleenc

      22 November 2007, 03.09PM

      Thank you James. I'm glad you don't bear grudges! I've had a look at Jaques Amand website, but Tulip Anthraceit is not listed in the UK or US store. I'll try again next year.

    • airyfairy

      23 November 2007, 09.11AM

      Tulips are brilliant, tulip heaven is the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland. Obviously I bought some while there but they didn't grow, was the pot too shallow at 8 inches? Strangely they seem to be putting up shoots this year.

    • helen mac

      26 November 2007, 09.50PM

      I am new to tulip planting, and have put them into pots which are currently kept under my carport. It is light and protects from any frosts. My question is, should I be watering the pots through the winter? Or do I just leave them, without watering until I place them on the patio in late spring? As a complete novice, any advice would be welcome. Thanks.

    • James A-S

      27 November 2007, 12.31PM

      You must water them. Without watering they will be mere shadows of themselves. The flowers will lack blousiness, the leaves will be spotty and anaemic and the bulbs will lose all their plumpness. They are not camels!

    • James A-S

      27 November 2007, 12.33PM

      Airy Fairy - 8" should be fine. it sounds as if you may not have been watering (See previous comment). Kathleen C - Try ringing the bulb suppliers as well as looking at their catalogues. Often they get unexpected orders or something is substituted by the growers. They are also very good at coming up with alternatives of which you may not have heard.

    • plumbob

      15 April 2008, 02.00PM

      I grew Alicante in 07 and was disappointed ,but have grown Sakura f1 cherry tomatoes for 2 years and they are very good flavour and have had no problems, all grown in bags.

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