Tulipomania
Some years ago I was having a conversation with friends and a friend of a friend of a friend said that her favorite flower was the tulip. At the time I thought it was strange, since I only knew tulips from mass plantings of identical tulips that all bloomed at the same time, looked like tubes of lipstick, and were quickly removed once past their prime. They seemed the ultimate in disposable flowers.
Now that I have my own garden, my opinion has changed, and I love tulips. I have planted about 100 in my garden, and there are probably 100 more that are survivors from previous owners' plantings.
Tulips are great because of the intense colors they have, their sculptural shape, and the way they change over the bloom time. First of all, they are great in the bud. This one below is an unnamed cultivar that just came up in the garden.
This one, Tulipa 'Oratorio', is just starting to open up.
Tulips are beautiful when you look directly down on top of them. The patterns in the flowers are amazing. Another anonymous variety.
This one just looks like a fancy sculpture to me. The color is fantastic too, as is the petal texture.
Even when they bloom in unexpected places tulips are beautiful. This one is growing therough the chain link fence in our yard.
This one is Tulipa 'Quebec', a Greigii type tulip. Another top view.
These are more unknown tulips. I would never plant orange and yellow tulips, but these just came up and how can you not like that?
I think I would plant more species tulips if I were to do it again. Their foliage is less intrusive. This one is Tulipa humilis 'Persian Pearl'.
Even when tulips are fading, they look wonderful. Then you can look inside them to see the reproductive parts and how they are beautiful too.
Now tulip season is almost over, although there are still some late tulips blooming in the garden. I also planted many daffodils, which are supposed to be more easily perennialized. Somehow they are not returning year after year, while the tulips, supposedly more difficult to get to come back, seem to be doing fine. In fact, in areas of the yard that we reclaimed from grass, many of these unnamed tulips have come up, probably after years of not blooming, a testament to their durability
Now that I have my own garden, my opinion has changed, and I love tulips. I have planted about 100 in my garden, and there are probably 100 more that are survivors from previous owners' plantings.
Tulips are great because of the intense colors they have, their sculptural shape, and the way they change over the bloom time. First of all, they are great in the bud. This one below is an unnamed cultivar that just came up in the garden.
This one, Tulipa 'Oratorio', is just starting to open up.
Tulips are beautiful when you look directly down on top of them. The patterns in the flowers are amazing. Another anonymous variety.
This one just looks like a fancy sculpture to me. The color is fantastic too, as is the petal texture.
Even when they bloom in unexpected places tulips are beautiful. This one is growing therough the chain link fence in our yard.
This one is Tulipa 'Quebec', a Greigii type tulip. Another top view.
These are more unknown tulips. I would never plant orange and yellow tulips, but these just came up and how can you not like that?
I think I would plant more species tulips if I were to do it again. Their foliage is less intrusive. This one is Tulipa humilis 'Persian Pearl'.
Even when tulips are fading, they look wonderful. Then you can look inside them to see the reproductive parts and how they are beautiful too.
Now tulip season is almost over, although there are still some late tulips blooming in the garden. I also planted many daffodils, which are supposed to be more easily perennialized. Somehow they are not returning year after year, while the tulips, supposedly more difficult to get to come back, seem to be doing fine. In fact, in areas of the yard that we reclaimed from grass, many of these unnamed tulips have come up, probably after years of not blooming, a testament to their durability
posted by Shelly at 7:57 AM
3 Comments:
Those tulips are gorgeous! You have really changed your yard into something lovely.
Visited your photo site briefly. Those are beautiful - I especially like the inside views of individual flowers (ain't nature gorgeous?) and the ones of sunlight showing through the petals from behind. Love your thumbnail - er, toenail - sketch.
worlds? o no; I'm certain they're/(look again) flowers
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