Five golden rules to design with tulips

When the first tulip buds open in spring, we again get an inkling of how happy a garden can make us. Nothing is more promising than these perfect blossoms in all imaginable colours. To ensure that these beauties make a grand entrance, here are a few important rules to follow.

1. Spring is the time for experimentation

Do you prefer gardens in soft pastels? Then break all the rules in spring and go for deep, baroque colours. The good thing about tulips is that they (almost) bloom on their own, so they don’t have to match the rest of the garden. There’s plenty of room for experiments that quickly go wrong with other plants.

2. Mix perennial tulips with bitchy divas

Many varieties disappear after one or two years, even with good care. It is good to plant a base of perennial tulip bulbs in neutral colours. This considerably reduces the amount of work and the costs in autumn. Well-suited varieties are, for example: Spring Green, Green Star, Queen of Night, Purissima.

3. Observe flowering times

Always plant a few very early flowering specimens with the exquisite tulip mix, such as the fantastic Purissima variety. This will extend the flowering period considerably.

4. More is definitely more

The biggest mistake when planting tulips is misjudging the number of bulbs that should be planted in the bed in autumn. Only with 10-15 bulbs per square metre is the wow effect guaranteed!

5. BIG WOW EFFECT FOR THOSE WHO SHY AWAY FROM COST AND EFFORT

If the fourth rule has scared you away, you can relax. Great effects can also be achieved with less effort. Simply plant a few large tubs at the entrance and terrace in autumn. The bulbs can be planted even more densely than in a bed (but at least 10 per tub). The result is usually much more impressive than tulips scattered individually in a distant bed.