Plant tulip bulbs this fall for a blossoming spring garden

Before you dig in and start choosing colours, heights, and types of tulips, it’s good to have an idea of what kind of flower bed you want to achieve. Do you aim for a sleek and stylish look? Then you can try to use a uniform variety and colour. Perhaps you’re going for a wilder and more natural style? Plant several different varieties together. Either way, tulips look great when planted in mass.

Tulips in warm colours like yellow, orange and red really come into their own in sunny spots. White tulips, on the other hand, almost seem to disappear in intense sunlight, but are an elegant and efficient way of brightening up shady corners of the garden. Choose tulips like Black Hero and Queen of Night if you want to achieve a dramatic look. These gorgeous, near-black tulips will demand your attention wherever in the garden they’re placed.

Combine tulips with perennials and annuals. The tulips need to be left to wilt in peace, so the energy can return to the bulb. Meanwhile, the accompanying perennials and annuals provide a facade behind which the tulips can hide. In addition, tall tulip varieties look great when peaking up behind a group of perennials.

When buying tulip bulbs, pay attention to size. The larger the bulb, the larger the flower. Read the label for instructions and check that the colour, height and blooming time fit your needs.

Plant the bulbs as soon as possible after purchasing them, from mid to late autumn. If you can’t plant the bulbs immediately, store them somewhere cool, dark and dry.

Tulips grow best in fertile and well-drained soil. Before planting the tulip bulbs, prepare the area. If planting in mass, shovel the soil surface, lay bulbs on the area and cover with soil. For single bulb planting, dig a hole three times as deep as the bulb is tall using a Transplanter. If you're working with harder soil, a Garden Drill does the trick. 

You can add some bone meal or bulb fertilizer to encourage rooting. Lay the bulb rooted side down and pointed side up and cover with soil. Water the area well and wait for the spring to enjoy your tulip flower bed.