| Friday Five: 5 Fall Bulbs You Won’t Believe Are Tulips |
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| Written by Heleigh Bostwick Friday, 09 September 2011 | |||
 It's September and that means it's time to think about planting fall bulbs. While you can't go wrong with classic fall bulbs like tulips, if you're looking for something a bit different this year, then you'll want to take a look at these five variations on a classic. But don't wait too long to order because many varieties are on sale! 1. Parrot Tulip 'Apricot' Looking like luscious sherbet, this slightly fragrant parrot tulip has frilled petals in swirls of orange, pink, cream, and a touch of green. At 18 to 20 inches tall, it blooms in mid-spring. It’s easy to grow and makes a wonderful cut flower arrangement. If you like the look of parrot tulips but are looking for something more showy, check out 'Estella Rynveld' with its red and white frilled petals. 2. Double Late Tulip 'Sunlover' Looking more like a peony than a tulip, the double late sunlover tulip (pictured above) is a beautiful sunset orange color. Growing 16 to 18 inches high, the double blooms make an appearance in late spring. If you're looking for a more subtle color, the fragrant 'Angelique' with its soft pink flower petals might be a better choice. Easy to grow, both make a great addition to the flower border. If you love peonies but don't have any growing in your garden then this is the tulip for you!  3. Wild Tulip 'Lilac Wonder' At 4 to 6 inches tall, the diminutive 'Lilac Wonder' is a perfect gem for your rock garden. It's also deer resistant. This dwarf tulip blooms in mid-spring and the flowers are pink-lilac in color with golden yellow centers. When the petals open up they almost look like crocus or anemone. 4. Triumph Tulip 'Merry Go Round' Often referred to as multi-flowering or 'bouquet' tulips, 'Merry Go Round' is a really good choice if you enjoy floral arrangements in your home. Growing to a height of up to 24 inches, these are one of the taller varieties of tulips and each stem typically has 3-5 flowers. The pinkish-red petals have just enough purple in them to give them a beautiful jewel tone when they bloom in mid-spring.  5. Fringed Tulip 'Mascotte' The tips of the purplish-pink color double-flowers of 'Mascotte' almost look as if they've been cut with pinking shears to make them look like carnations--but they're not of course. Growing to a height of 18 to 24 inches, these unusual fringed tulips are easy to grow and make a nice addition to your perennial garden if you're looking for some spring color. All of these bulbs and more are sold by American Meadows, a leading online retailer of wildflower seeds, perennial plants, flower bulbs and vegetable seeds. For more information visit: American Meadows or visit them on Facebook or Dave's Garden. |
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