I have a love affair with tulips. There are a lot of reasons. One is probably because I can’t grow them. My soil is far too wet–and even if it weren’t, it’s a battle around here with deer and the heartbreaking idea that I had waited for my tulips to bloom, only to have them eaten just as they were about to open is not worth it–not when every bulb requires stabbing my heavy wet clay with a heavy steel trowel just to get that bulb in the ground.
So I buy a few bunches now and again and get my fix that way. I love that they continue to grow in the vase, changing their look.
These tulips may not look so different in this different vase but they have been trimmed up substantially. This is what’s come off,
So, now, newly refreshed, they’ll be able to grow–and ideally open up a little further–and provide a little cheer in this unusual time.
Gardendaze 
Could you start them in pots in your basement? Or cold garage that’s what I have done in the past is force them then you can get the color and variety you want and no deer or squirrels or chipmunks wreaking havoc on them
I have done them in my garage, Jina, and mice got them. It’s really critter city around here. But I love the idea for others. I have also tried forcing in an unused refrigerator so there was no issue of fruit or veggies off gassing and harming them. It was okay–but an occasional bunch of tulips now and again seems to solve my need and make me happy.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Karla
Stay well stay safe stay in
Yes, absolutely. You do the same!
Karla
I do love what tulips do to themselves and think of them as being sculptural.
Excellent thought! Sculptural is a perfect way to describe them.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Karla
Tulips are like annuals for so many of us that I sometimes wonder who produces the bulbs and how they do it! Tulips must be happy somewhere.
Tulips are like annuals for so many of us that I sometimes wonder who produces the bulbs and how they do it! Tulips must be happy somewhere.
I see those beautiful fields of tulips that are being posted on Twitter and Instagram now. I know that they’re being grown for harvest–I have a childhood friend who’s a commercial bulb grower, in fact. But I asked him once what my best chance of getting any tulip to perennelize (if that’s even a word!) He said that the Darwin varieties work best–and indeed, if I could get them deep enough, they would come back for a few years.
I also had decent luck with the gorgeous species tulips–and the critters didn’t seem to care for those as much–as much being a relative term.
I still have one or two Darwins that pop up around the property. They must be 20 years old. So clearly occasionally tulips will last under some conditions–benign neglect in my case!
Karla