Tulip FEST!? Please share yours ..

[alp]

@Daren: Very nice. I've come to the conclusion that tulips like to be in pots and be hot.. Most of mine in a narrow raised bed and on a border enjoying sun the whole day.. I reckon your pots enjoy sunshine a bit.. .. those in the ground got eaten up.. I was expecting a massive explosion of flowers from my wildflower patch, it turned out to be bald.. wonder who had got them for dinner??!! LOL!

 

[Daren]

They do love sun alp & I agree, in most cases planting in the ground is a waste of time as its near impossible to protect them from being eaten by the little hungry mouse that patrols my garden each night.... I'm still looking for a solution to this but till then it is pots that I cover till the bulbs pop up.

 

[alp]

Yes, that's it exactly. I felt cheated. I planted all the tulips very beautiful ones back to back on that patch .. expecting fanfare this year.. all I have seen is bald patch.. I am growing veg on that patch now .. Phacelia is another con.. They self seeded like mad and I had to rake them off the patch.. Never again.. I'm allergic to phacelia ..

 

[alp]

Just some

They are getting bigger and happier, probably in response to the sunshine.
These ones are always top heavy and the stem just collapses under the weight of the flower .. like a cross-bred dog with a kind of disease! LOL!

 

[Logan]

The first one looks like a rose. Beautiful.

 

[alp]

You know, the hot border or raised wall have helped the plant to multiply. There weren't so many last year. But because the raised wall has been heated early from the morning and during the day, suddenly, I have double of what I have now. Also, last year, I added a lot of horse manure and water retentive gel to the border and BOOM, loads of these rose like tulips.. Boy, how they like the HEAT!

 

[Logan]

You know, the hot border or raised wall have helped the plant to multiply. There weren't so many last year. But because the raised wall has been heated early from the morning and during the day, suddenly, I have double of what I have now. Also, last year, I added a lot of horse manure and water retentive gel to the border and BOOM, loads of these rose like tulips.. Boy, how they like the HEAT!

It worked very well.

 

[Larisa]

@alp You dig up terry tulips after flowering? I started to grow them recently. But I read that the gardener should dig them out after flowering and re-plant at the end of August. Otherwise they will lose terry flowers and become simple. Have you heard anything about this?

 

[alp]

@Larisa: I'm too happy go lucky to bother about that. They stayed inside the narrow raised bed year after year. But last year, i actually loosened the compost, added a lot of horse manure and this year, I added some bonemeal and suddenly I have so many more of these tulips.. didn't even know they have a special name.. So pleased that this year I can soooo many more flowers.. it's like the lone plant has multiplied. They have been like these for years, but only more blooms this year. Probably because it's hotter in this part of the world.. I have never heard of this .. If it were true, I wouldn't mind as I like single more than this double flower.. Have you actually seen it reverting to single, Larisa?

 

[Larisa]

@alp I personally have not seen it. I read about it in the magazine for gardeners. Perhaps this is only in our climate? I'll do an experiment - I'll dig out a part, leave some in the ground. Then I'll see in person what will happen.

 

[alp]

Probably some kind of reversion going on.. I remember someone buying a clematis Daniel Deronda which was supposed to be blue/purple, but it turned to green. And a rose with parrot like patterns reverted to pure white.. Interesting.. isn't it?

 

[Larisa]

Yes. It reminds me of lupins. I planted the red ones, but after a few years I have different colors. Mostly they return to blue.

 

[alp]

I don't think I have any such reversion happening to my flowers.. I was told that the blue veined orchids might revert back to white. But I don't really like that kind of blue, so I don't really know.. I often wonder if they let the orchids drink blue water .. LOL!

 

[Larisa]

If it's phalaenopsis, then yes.

 

[alp]

Some more tulips

Single crimson and yellow tulips

Only one in my garden and I love the blue inside - very beautiful!

See the blue - love it!