You don't have to travel to Holland to enjoy a sea of tulip blossoms. With a little skill you can create a colorful carpet of flowers as far as the eye can see. This selection presents recommended tulips for naturalization.
Which tulips are suitable for naturalizing in the garden?
Tulips recommended for naturalization are wild tulips such as water lily tulips, lady tulips, dwarf tulips, Fosteriana tulips and dwarf star tulips, as well as noble varieties such as lily-flowered tulips, Darwin tulips and Triumph tulips. These species reproduce undisturbed in the garden and produce a colorful sea of flowers.
Wild Tulips – The first choice for growing wild
Their wild character makes wild tulips particularly suitable for creating a picturesque sea of flowers over time. If the following species remain undisturbed in the garden, they reproduce diligently via bulbs and seeds:
- Water lily tulip (Tulipa kaufmanniana): flowering period from March to April - height 20-25 cm
- Lady tulip (Tulipa clusiana): flowering time in April - height 20-25 cm
- Dwarf tulips (Tulipa batalinii and Tulipa humilis): flowering period from April to May - height 10-15 cm
- Fosteriana tulip (Tulipa fosteriana): flowering time in April - height 35-40 cm
- Dwarf star tulip (Tulipa tarda): flowering period from April to May - height 15 cm
If tulips thrive in a meadow or lawn, a little patience is required at the end of the flowering period. Only mow the area when the leaves have completely retracted. If the storage of nutrients is interrupted prematurely, the flowers will lack the strength to continue naturalization to the desired extent next year.
Temperamental noble varieties for naturalization
The following tulip beauties combine elegance with vital life force. If you give these varieties free rein to grow, they will spread in no time:
- Lily-flowered tulips: 'Marietta', 'Marylin', 'Purple Dream', 'China Pink', 'White Triumphator': flowering time in May - height 50 cm
- Darwin tulips: 'Olympic Flame', 'Pink Impression', 'Pinkerbells', 'Short Wave': flowering time in May - height 40 cm
- Triumph tulips: 'Happy Generation', 'Ile de France', 'Shirley': flowering period from April to May - height 40-50 cm
Long-stemmed noble varieties as well as highly bred hybrids with fringed, flamed flowers, on the other hand, find it difficult to grow wild. These primarily include parrot tulips, viridiflora tulips and late-flowering varieties that only take our breath away with their beauty for a short time.
Tip
Combine tulips with other bulb flowers to compose a spring-fresh symphony of flowers. Suitable plant neighbors for naturalization are snowdrops, crocuses, squills, winter aconites, harebells and daffodils.
