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Tulip ideas

Tulip ideas

It’s that time of year when the garden is in its full spring glory, although this year spring has been a little on the strange side with daffodils & narcissi still flowering in May, this has given the spring garden added depth.

The tulips are revealing their full splendour, tulips have amazing diversity in colour shape and size, their is a tulip to suit every garden situation and a tulip to suit everybody from the pale and mellow to the hot and vibrant their is a tulip for you. Tulips are mostly annuals but there are some varieties that can be left in place for a few years. Here is a list of some of the categories and varieties which have a little more staying power.

All Tulipa varieties are idea for naturalising, Sylvestris is one of the oldest varieties dating back to the sixteen hundreds it has a lovely fragrance and is ideal for planting in short grass it can be vigorous; it can spread by undergrounds shoots, other varieties to have a look at are Pulchella, Clusiana, Humilus varieties also Honky Tonk, Vvedenski Henry Hudson, Linifolia, Tarda & Turkestanica, Praestans, their are some lovely varieties in this section and are worth a place in the garden or tubs, rock garden, front of border even the woodland.

Other varieties to put on your list are Darwin Hybrid Apeldoorn, Golden Apeldoorn, Olympic Flame, Apeldoorn Elite, Ad Rem, Triumph Tulips Negrita, Mistress, Ile de France, Couleur Cardinal, Lily Flowered Ballade, White Triumphator, Ballerina, Viridiflora Spring Green, Greenland, Parrot Tulip Flaming Parrot, Fringed Tulip Burgundy Lace, Curly Sue, Multi-Headed Toronto Fosteriana, Kaufmanniana & Greigii Tulips are also good varieties to consider.

Of course Tulips need help to build up there flower potential, feeding with high potash fertiliser especially when the tulips are around 15cm high; you can do this every couple of weeks up to flowering then stop, deadheading is very important as soon as the flower begins to lose its colour off with its head, you don’t want it to produce seed, it is important to let the growth die back for at least six weeks.

Depending on your soil it may be better to lift and dry the tulip bulbs after flowering, follow the previous information, deadhead and wait at least six weeks before lifting. If you want the space for other plants lift and put in trays or trench in the garden out of site until all the green growth has gone. Clean all the soil off the bulbs and bin any that look diseased or have been damaged do not compost old tulips bulbs. Make sure the bulbs as completely dry before storing them away. Replant tulips late in autumn. Of course all gardens from soils, moisture and warmth are different and so this can only be used as a guide.

Store the bulbs in trays or net sacks in warm (not hot) shed or room that is a little dark and well ventilated. I use old tights (washed of course) I put one variety and label in one leg and tie but not too tight, then I put the next on top and continue up to the body do the same in both legs, I then hang them in the shed where the bulbs can get ventilation. Gentlemen I’m sure your wife/girlfriend will help you out with laddered tights. When I’m ready to replant I just cut the bottom of each section out comes the one variety of tulip together with label this stops them getting mixed up in storage, I use them for storing all my bulbs but not my Dahlias they need a completely different type of storage.

Talk to your neighbours especially older neighbours who’ve been growing tulips for years, they will have experience of varieties that they have left in and come back year on year, new gardening friendships are made, a sense of community grows with sharing and exchanging ideas and tips.

Daffodil Event - Alnwick Gardens - 29 March-31 March

 Daffodil Event  - Alnwick Gardens - 29 March-31 March

How quickly time goes by it doesn’t seem a year ago we were planning our first Daffodil display to be held at The Alnwick Gardens; here we are now planning the second,

The Daffodil Event will be held at Alnwick Gardens from 29 March to 6 April

We are lucky to have a wonderful supply of amazing new daffodils & Narcissi from the breeder Arno Kroon once again on display; as well as a few of the tried and tested varieties like Bridal Crown, Minnow, February gold, High Society, Popeye to name just a few.

We will be selling some of these new and exciting varieties pre-planted in pots at the event, each pot will be packed full with around 15 bulbs per pot they will provide a beautiful display in the patio or conservatory, some of these varieties are new to the market and will not be available in the catalogue for a while. If you purchase any pots after flowering dead head and place where all the foliage can die back then they can then be planted in the garden for a stunning display next year.

Daffodils & Narcissi are the heralds of spring they have such a diverse range from the Trumpet varieties flowering from the end of January to the Jonquilla’s flowering into late April a whole four months of colour, give them a good home plant them deep enough and dead head regularly, they will reward you for years with there beauty.

If you can’t make this we are pleased to announce Arno Kroon together with 3 growers will be at Alnwick Gardens along with Peter Nyssen Ltd on Thursday 18 April when Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland will be officially christening the new Alnwick Magic Narcissi; you will have the opportunity to chat to the growers and gain excellent incite into the production of Daffodil & Narcissi

We would love to see our customers at either of the events if you would like to come and chat about daffodils we will be happy to help and advise.

Dahlias for the flower garden

Dahlias for the flower garden

During summer and well into autumn dahlias are at their best, with a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes who can resist them, their is a place in every garden border, patio or window box for a dahlia, from the tall to the short, the round to the spiky flowers, dahlias are a must.

If you love to cut flowers for the home what better way than plant dahlias as the base of your flower displays, the more you cut them the more they will flower making them excellent value for money and unlike bedding plants with a little care you will have them for many years.

For a touch of the dark & sensual plant Bishop of Auckland with their dark purple foliage and crimson red flowers with Chat Noir and Rip City add a touch of deep red like Sam Hopkins add a dash of blue and lime green for the wow factor. Eryngium add a different texture to dahlias as cut flower

Be daring with Mrs Eileen or Jescot Julie “orange” with Sam Hopkins deep red” add a splash of Thomas A. Edison and Jowey Mirella mix in some purple asters, veronica and lime green foliage for a little of the bohemian.

Nuit d’Ete, Rip City or Chat Noir is lovely mixed with Lilies like Montezuma, Dimension or Original Love, blue freesias or agapanthus and a slight tough of burnt orange.

If you only have a window pox or flowerpot than the Gallery Dahlias are for you just 30-40 cm high the have a neat habit and will flower continuously just snip of the flowers as they start to fade.

Lifting Snowdrops

Lifting Snowdrops

Now is the time to think about lifting and dividing those overcrowded clumps of Snowdrops; it’s always best to do this as the foliage is just starting to die back. If you can remove any spent flowers or seed pods to give the bulbs the best chance of developing and flowering the following year.

Use a fork and dig deep underneath the clump so you don’t damage any bulbs or the roots; the roots are an important part of the Snowdrop and too much damage here can result in poor flowering, plant the Snowdrops back as soon as you can don’t let the bulbs dry, Snowdrops love humus rich soil. Plant them back around 15cm deep.

Give them dappled shade and moist well drained conditions and the beautiful pure white bells of the Snowdrop will reward you for years to come.

Snowdrop time

Snowdrop time

It’s that time of year when we look for the sign that spring is on the way; the appearance of the Snowdrop, this herald of spring will push its way through the snow and ice the tough little flower is determined to shine and have its moment in the sun. Although there are varieties that will flower as early as November -
December like the Elwesii group, snowdrop Galanthus Nivalis is the one we associate with February.

Snowdrops are not fussy about soil conditions grow in moist well drained humus rich soil that does not dry out in summer if you want them to thrive, they prefer partial shade. Lift and divide congested clumps when flowering becomes sparse. Plant around 8-10 cm deep. Allow around 75 per sq meter. You can give them a feed of bonemeal to help them along as soon as you see the first signs of shoots.

February is the time of year for buying snowdrops in the green “ready growing” it is important that the snowdrops bought this way are planted on receipt and not left to dry out, give them a light spray when you receive them to keep them fresh dry bulbs will struggle when planted. Divide the clumps dig the hole to the depth they were originally planted to this is easy to see from the stems.

There are so many places to see snowdrops planted on mass Dunham Massey in Altrincham, Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, National Botanic Garden in Carmarthenshire, there is the Scottish Snowdrop Festival from February to mid March. Have a look in your local area, wrap up and go for a walk you will find yourself hypnotised by these beautiful bells of the snow.

Why not recreate you own Snowdrop heaven we have snowdrops in the green on our website under the spring section or visit our autumn selection from June the dry bulbs are sent from the end of August.

Springs Floral Fireworks

Springs Floral Fireworks

It’s cold and in some places lots of snow lies on the ground but spring is in the air, the bulbs are starting to burst through the soil. Snowdrops are waking from their sleep and the first of the pure white bells are beginning to show. Eranthis “Winter Aconites” are starting to unfurl there leaves, the yellow buds are preparing to open to be followed by dwarf Iris Reticulata and species

Within a few weeks spring will be in its full glory as the floral fireworks begin. The first of the Daffodils which have been brave enough to open are putting on a display, Daffodil & Narcissi have varieties that will flower from January to April from the wild form the delicate; to the bold here I am flowers and lots in between, every garden needs Daffodils & Narcissi they let you know spring is really here.

Prepare for the spring carry a small note book or piece of paper and pen with you write the name of your favourite varieties or take pictures on your phone or camera, create your own must have list, it’s always hard when you try to describe a variety of bulb you have seen three to six months earlier with so many varieties of bulbs available that look similar it can be a disappointment if what you order turns out not to be what you remember.

Make a note of the height and colour; when it flowers the size of the flower, if taking a picture try to take a picture level with the flower when shooting from above the perspective can be lost, show the flower from the side and front if you have a small tape measure take a picture showing the two together. Adjust the camera setting to get the best colour and try not to get too close to blur the image, the sun can bleach the colours so try and keep the sun off the flower while taking a picture.

We would love to see your floral display and how you use your bulbs, plants, corms, tubers, ferns and grasses, the way you plant and your colour combinations, we hope to build a library of pictures to place in our picture gallery to enthuse people to try new combinations and plant types that they would never have tried before, our aim is to inspire gardeners from the novice to the professional and all those who like ourselves love the garden, you can be assured we will never put name or address links to the pictures you will stay anonymous.

We look forward to seeing all your hard work - let the floral fireworks begin.

Survivor

Survivor

While looking for new tulip varieties for the catalogue this year we came across this lovely pink variety, bred in The Netherlands and used by an American cancer charity. Survivor is a deep rose pink with a paler edge a Single Late Tulip, it has a strong stem and will stand upright, it can withstand wind and will flower for around three weeks.

Peter Nyssen Ltd is proud to offer Tulip Survivor to help raise funds for research into the treatment of cancer and hopefully in the near future towards a cure

100% of all proceeds will be donated to Cancer Research UK.

Lilium

Lilium

In the autumn section of our catalogue we offer a selection of Lilium that are ready in time for autumn planting these are despatched from Mid September. A fully comprehensive collection of Lilium can be found in our spring section for despatch from February. In our special section on the website from December we will have some wonderful new varieties to tempt you.

Lilies are stately plants most produce beautiful fragrant flowers. The longer the bulbs are in the ground the better they become, producing more flowers taller and stronger stems.

Longiflorum lilies also know as Easter Lily although they flower in July, are pure white strongly perfumed flowers, trumpet shaped and outward facing, tall and elegant they make ideal cut flowers. With the new hybridizing techniques in lilium you can now find pink varieties of Longiflorum from as little as £1.00 per bulb.

Oriental lilies have beautiful large strongly perfumed flowers which slightly recurve and expose the pollen. They mostly come in shades of pink to pinkish red or white, oriental lilies are excellent as cut flowers, they come in heights from 45 cms to 100 cms they are ideal in pots or the border from as little as £1.10 per bulb.

Trumpet lilies have large trumpet shaped flowers with beautiful fragrance with a good colour range from white, golden yellow, apricot, deep lilac pink, they tend to have a touch of wine on the reverse of the flower with the exception of Regale Album, from as little as £1.20 per bulb.

Species Lilies tend to be the turks-cap varieties tall with lovely nodding flowers they have little or no perfume. Martagon varieties are excellent for woodland planting producing up to 50 flowers per stem once established, we will have a selection of these on the December website where you will find them sold as a mixture. Lilium Candidum “The Madonna Lily” is found in the specie lilies section this is only sold in the autumn from September to November beautiful pure white fragrant flowers this is the one variety that is not planted deep it needs planting just below the surface, from as little as £1.10 per bulb.

Lilium are a wonderful addition to any herbaceous border or pot no garden is complete without this floral masterpiece.

Miscellaneous - N -Z part 3

Miscellaneous - N -Z  part 3

In our new 2012-2013 catalogue you will find over 100 different varieties of Miscellaneous Bulbs from Anemone to Snowdrops, the bulbs in this section are ideal for all garden areas from pots to borders the woodland and meadow planting

Nectaroscodum can be found under the Allium section in our catalogue and website.

Ornithogalum “Star of Bethlehem” have stems of around 25 to 80 cms with star shaped white flowers. Arabicum make a good cut flower. Nutans and Umbellatum are good for woodland planting and the borders. Magnum produces an abundance of lovely starry white flowers. The prices start from as little as 9p a bulb to 60p a bulb for the taller Arabicum.

Puschkinia excellent for naturalising in the rock garden or border around shrubs, producing masses of small star-shaped flowers on short stems at 6p per bulb. Ranunculus brightly coloured double flowers excellent in the border or pots; they make excellent long lasting cut flowers from as little as 9p per bulb, they like a little light soak before planting.

Scilla is a large group from the Squil and Spanish bluebell to the beautiful English bluebell Endymion Non Scriptus. They are excellent for the border, pots and woodland planting they will happily naturalize freely. Siberica and Siberica Spring Beauty are lovely planted with daffodils & narcissi, they start from as little as 9p a bulb and make a good garden investment.

Snowdrops a must for any spring garden with their pure white flowers and touch of green, they herald the arrival of spring. From the double form Flore Pleno to the natural single Nivalis Simplex excellent for naturalising in the woodland or garden border from as little as 12p per bulb best planted in September and October as dry bulbs or in the green from end of February.

Sparaxis are an inexpensive long lasting flower excellent for the border or pots in an extensive colour range from white, pink, yellow, reds and purples some have a black ring in the centre for as little as 6p a bulb.

Zantadeschia also called Calla Lily or Arum Lily, they bring an architectural elegance to the garden, the large foliage and pure white flowers bring a touch of elegance, ideal for the edge of the pond in damp soil or bog garden. Zantadeschia can be grown in the border, but like to be kept damp, they are moisture lovers. Provide a good mulch in winter.

Now the introduction to this years catalogue is done, sit back in the garden enjoy the summer and plan your spring fireworks display.

Miscellaneous - F-M part 2

Miscellaneous - F-M part 2

In our new 2012-2013 catalogue you will find over 100 different varieties of Miscellaneous Bulbs from Anemone to Snowdrops, the bulbs in this section are ideal for all garden areas from pots to borders the woodland and meadow planting

Freesias in the autumn are for indoor flowering, they have a heady perfume in a good range of mixed colours from single to double flowering from 8p per bulb.

Fritillaria come in a range of flowering types and heights from the stately Crown Imperials to Meleagris with their checked maroon bells at only 11p each. Fritillaria are a diverse group there is a bulb to suit every gardener in this section from colour to height most flowers are bell or cupped shaped.

Gladioli in the autumn section are the early flowering types like Gladioli Byzantinus with its magenta flowers make a good woodland plant at only 12p each the Gladioli Nanus are a mixture of the small flowering types excellent for cut flower at only 15p a bulb. Gladioli The Bride is pure white excellent for cut flower at only18p a bulb. All these gladioli are good in the borders or pots.

Ipheion this bulb should be more widely planted it is robust and hardy producing a mass of star shaped flowers from blue to white, they have a light fragrance and from only 6p a bulb worth planting for a long lasting display.

Ixias or African Corn Lily grow in clumps with starry flowers in a range of colours from white, pink, magenta, yellow and pink from tall slender stems at only 7p a bulb.

Leucojum “Summer Snowflake” resembles a large snowdrop, their beautiful flowers are produced on stems from around 30 to 50 cms, making them more easily seen than the smaller snowdrop. They will tolerate planting in damp moist soils from as little as 17p per bulb.

Muscari “Grape Hyacinth” they are an undemanding and reliable group producing hyacinth type flowers on short stems. Leave to naturalize in the border, rockery or woodland. They come in many shades of blue or white and start from as little as 7p a bulb.