Daffodils are always welcome because of the brightness they bring after the dull winter days, but I really do like tulips. It's the variety of colour, subtlety of markings (often) and elegance of shape (usually). They even look interesting as they fade, looking like old silk.
The big red tulips at the bottom of the garden, which I think were here when we first came and I don't know the variety, don't have quite the subtle markings (they're a plain, bright lipstick red on the outside), but I like the bold markings at the base inside; they remind me of the toy kaleidoscope I had as a child, which produced random coloured patterns when it was turned.
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| Inside the red tulips |
The earliest tulips in the pots are now dropping their petals, battered by the rain and winds that we've had periodically over the past week. This year I've planted a mix of varieties in the two big pots, and single varieties in the others. 'Orange Emperor' is still doing quite well; several of the bulbs have produced multiple flowers. It's a lovely orange sherbet colour, with big, rounded flowers.
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| 'Orange Emperor' |
'World Friendship', which I grew a couple of years ago and liked, has a more elegant, typically tulip shape; although it's quite tall, it's doing well against the winds. I think I must have planted the bulbs in two layers, as there are more stems coming through, which I hope will prolong the display.
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| 'World Friendship' |
The big pot on the patio has 'Ballerina', 'Antraciet' and 'Recreado', a mix of purples and orange; 'Ballerina' develops a darker, purplish flush on its orange petals which works well with the darker varieties. 'Recreado' isn't in bloom yet, which is a pity, but the other two varieties are looking good together.
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| 'Ballerina' and 'Antraciet' (and 'Recreado' soon!) |
Every year I try a variety new to me, and this year I have a pot of 'Doll's Minuet'. Some of the bulbs are still to come into flower, but I like it: a vivid magenta-red with a darker flush and an interesting shape, and as they are small (about 20cm/8ins) the wind isn't troubling them too much. They would make a great mixer with paler colours.
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| 'Doll's Minuet' |
The bulbs in the pot by the summerhouse are up but the blooms haven't opened yet. And, so far, all the bulbs seem to be what they're supposed to be - no 'wrong varieties' this year!
Meanwhile, we're still having the occasional hail shower; one of the blackbirds was spotted eating hailstones one day! Why??
