Garden Studios

But while many folks start planting daffodils and narcissi enthusiastically in September, when it’s time to plant tulips in November some gardeners have run out of steam.

That should be would becould very well be because although high quality tulips perform brilliantly of their first season, they can be disappointing and even non-existent within the second and third years.

This is because many of the tulips we buy are hybrid cultivars – a mixture of several different species bred to provide large flowers, tall stems and a rainbow of colors which were fed and specially treated to position on only one exceptional show.

Many professional gardeners use them as bedding plants, replacing them each year with new bulbs.

But it’s possible to purchase hardy species tulips to be able to flower year after year, identical to they do within the wild – in countries akin to Turkey, Greece, Israel and Jordan but mainly Central Asia.

Species tulips tend to be much smaller than their hybrid cousins, with slimmer leaves, shorter stems and far more delicate flowers in subtle colours.

For instance, Tulipa humilis are lower than four inches (10cms) high and Tulipa tardi only reach about six inches (15cm). Both have delicate, open flowers in April, although the Tulipa humilis may start flowering in March and is scented in addition to being appealingly fragile.

Species tulips are frequently seen in rockeries or containers because they prefer well-draining soil, but so do all tulips.

They should all thrive in sandy or gritty soil, but when you will have heavier soil you are able to dig in home-made compost to enhance drainage and plant small species tulips on the front of a border.

Whether you elect species tulips or the more flamboyant cultivars, both require sunny positions in well-draining soil or containers.

They are best planted virtually one another in groups rather then as lonely soldiers on their lonesome – about four to 6 inches apart for hybrids and closer for species.

Use a trowel to dig a hole a minimum of twice as deep as each bulb, although in the event you plant them deeper there’ll be room to grow smaller bulbs similar to snowdrops and grape hyacinth on top.

Put a handful of grit within the bottom of every hole to help drainage, or dig a trench and line it with grit then plant groups of bulbs to create drifts of colour.

Place the bulbs flat-side down and pointy prove – although they are going to right themselves whichever way you plant them.

If your soil is especially heavy, you want to add some grit to the soil you cover the bulbs with, to aid drainage much more and prevent them from rotting.

There are dozens of tulips to select from as a way to mean you can decide you can take a look at people with an RHS Award of Garden Merit, that have been rigorously trialled.

RHS recommendations include the Tulipa ‘China Pink’, a sublime lipstick-pink flower; Tulipa ‘Spring Green’, a fragile white flower with yellowy-green stripe; Tulipa ‘Happy Generation’, a huge white flower with flame red streaks, and Tulipa ‘Apricot Parrot’, a ruffled apricot and green flower.

Whatever you decide – species or cultivar, RHS recommended or not – November is the time to plant them, now that the chance of fungal disease is reduced.