Tulips are another great indicator that spring is just around the corner. But the bonus with tulips is that there are more a lot more colors to the flower than there are in a crocus or daffodil. Don’t believe me look through our tulip listings on the bottom of the page and see how many different colors are available. Because tulips do come in a wide variety of colors you can grow them in a group or even individually to make a nice border around your spring garden.
Here is a little history about tulips, in the early 1600’s, tulips actually came from a virus found by the Dutch that spread through the soil. Nobody knew what happened but they knew that they had a new flower on their hand. The Netherlands government took control of the tulip business after the market crash around 1637. They still control the tulip business today, which is by far the world’s leader in exporting spring bulbs around the world. See our links below to see what bulbs we carry. Many of them are produced and exporting from the Netherlands.
A word to the wise, tulips will grow their very best in the first year after you plant the bulb for the first time. Some would say this isn’t true because they get nice growth from their tulips every year. I am not saying you won’t get nice tulip flowers each year but the healthiest looking tulips will grow the very spring after you plant that bulb. To have a good second bloom and possibly more, during their blooming season, fertilize them lightly. As the bloom starts to die off, pick it off. Leave the stalk and leaves intact, this will allow nutrients to continue to return to the bulb for next season. Once the leaves wither, dig up the bulb as soon as the foliage has browned and died.
