How about those Perennial Tulips?

Now I'm the first one to write off tulips as nonrepeaters; I even rip them out and start fresh every year in my main tulip border.  But back behind this large oak I've stuck assorted tulips over the years and have to admit that these dark pink Darwins have been blooming their hearts out for over a decade.  I think they look grand with the Actaea daffodils on the left.  Actaeas are smaller-flowered, later-blooming, clump-forming and reliably perennial.

But really, I've gotta hand it to those Darwins.

Comments

[Carol]

Those are very pretty tulips, even more so because they come back every year. I'm on a quest to get some tulips that come back reliably every year!

[Pam L]

I've never had a problem with tulips not coming back. My problem is I have to find space to tuck in a few more each year when I see another type I want to add. Too many tulips, not enough beds for them.

[Rae]

That's a very nice planting! What other plants do you have in that bed? I see another type of daffodil in the front center -- all bulbs there or do you have something else?

[Julia]

I'm jealous. Very few of my tulips survive to bloom because they get eaten by various rodents.

[Layanee]

What says 'spring' better than tulips! Will add some Darwins to the list!

[Kim]

Beautiful! I may have to add Darwins to my list, too! I believe that several people mentioned them when I was lamenting my "bad" tulips not so long ago...

[Susan Harris]

Rae, the yellow you see in front is a double tulips whose name I can't remember. The only other plants in that area are periwinkle and a hydrangea that doesn't look like much yet.

[Yolanda Elizabet]

The best chance of getting your tulips to come back year after year is to A)buy healthy bulbs, B) plant them deeper than it says on the packet, C) give them a good feed shortly before they finish flowering and D) deadhead them. Not all, but most tulips will respond favorably to this treatment.

BTW lovely arrangement of tulips and oak. :-)

[Sylvana]

Susan Harris does exactly what I do with my bulbs, except that I feed them in the fall too, just for extra measure. Planting them deeper also keeps the squirrels from getting them!

I have had excellent perennial performance from my Darwins and fairly good from the species tulips. Even the parrot and lily variety bloom well year after year - but they do not multiply well.