In My Garden

Philip Duly

I have written before about my passion for tulips having admired spring bulbs since I was a very young boy. I am unashamed to admit that my twelfth birthday treat was a trip to the Springfield gardens in Spalding to see their incredible tulip displays. They made a lifelong impression on me.

You may have guessed by now that this month’s star plant is the tulip. I am aware that this is not the first time I have chosen to feature tulips in this column and it probably won’t be the last. However this time I am featuring some special tulips that appear - based on my garden - to be perennial.

This is only my second Spring in this garden but the tulips I planted in the Autumn of 2021 and flowered last Spring seem to have prospered which is wonderful news as I chose them specifically for their longevity and to break my previous habit of treating them like annuals and disposing of them at the end of their flowering season. The featured bulbs that I can therefore recommend are, in no particular order of preference, Pink Impression, Saigon, Lady van Eijk, Jan Reus, Queen of Night and Pretty Woman.

Large, bold and enchanting, Pink Impression is definitively pink and very impressive. Saigon is a strikingly beautiful deep purple and resilient tulip. Lady van Eijk is a large vibrant rose red tulip that stands out from the crowd and the long-flowering Jan Reus is pure perfection - its deep, dark and luscious crimson petals look as good when in bud as in flower. Queen of Night needs no introductionthis May-flowering deep maroon, almost black tulip is not only stunningly beautiful but sets off everything else that it surrounds. Meanwhile lilyflowered Pretty Woman is, as its name suggests, alluring, beautiful, elegant and exquisitely proportioned with gorgeous cardinal red petals. They deserve some space if you have some.