Early Red Tulips

Tulips have had varied success in my garden. Often the wind will destroy my carefully positioned groups, blowing them over. Or in the second year after planting they will refuse to flower, or even appear. One year I tried to dig them up and store them, but ended up slicing more in half than the effort was worth.

red tulips with daffodils - from the archives

One year I got a bagful of strange yellow ones from my local bulb grower. Their stems are quite short, and their flowers break open, a little like a peony. I planted a clump by the edge of the main Dog-Path which runs along the edge of the water race. They remind me of crepe paper flowers that my children used to make.

I love the look of a group of plain red tulips (before the wind gets them). They have a strength and a simplicity which is inspiring. Each year I hope to put some somewhere (even if they are subsequently lost).

Footnote

I was obviously a young and idealistic gardener when I wrote this. Lately I have become more and more annoyed with planting tulips. My current state is that of polite refusal. But things in the garden are always changing...