Right now, in May, you must go to your August or September calendar and write this entry: ORDER TULIPS NOW! I am doing just this after seeing how the tulips in my garden have lifted my spirits for the past three weeks. There is just something unfailingly cheerful about these flowers. More than most other plants, however, enjoying these colorful flowers in the spring is dependent on taking action in the fall.
Last year I got a box of organically raised tulips from Eco Tulips in Virginia. I planted them in my front garden and as they have grown, opened in response to the sunlight and changed over the past month they have made me realize how important it is for us to have such spring bulbs. They are a commemoration that winter is over, a celebration of color and growth, and a prayer of gratitude that spring is here and we once again see a world filled with renewal. That’s quite a lot for one stem with a flower on the top to deliver, but tulips do that and more.
In the spring most perennials are still emerging and are low to the ground. So planting taller tulips in and among perennials adds drama to the early season garden.
I also love how red and yellow tulips catch the light of the morning and evening sun. Even if you’re not a “loves red in the garden person” you have to admit that these EcoTulips are cheerful.
