My bed of tulips 2012

It looks very pretty. But I see what you mean there are empty spots. Still looks very good though.

The bed still looks good LG. I guess the squirrels didn't think you had planted enough tulips where they would like, so they did some redecorating. I had that happen with the crocuses, which I had coming up in beds nowhere near they had been planted, and too far for seeds to have fallen, and germinated. Your tulip bed still makes quite the statement. The disadvantage to the warm weather is that the blooms are not lasting as long.

Yes, Annette, a long, cool spring is MUCH more to my liking (and the tulips last so much longer). Gardeners are at the mercy of the elements (and varmints).

Sunny and warm (high 70's today) weather has the tulips blooming, but no sign of buds on the allium. I keep telling myself 'it's an experiment...', but I can't help being disappointed in the outcome this year. Between the squirrels raiding the bed and the allium blooming later than the tulips, I have to say this is not the best year for this bed. Oh well, every gardener knows there will be ANOTHER year!

If you get down low, the bed doesn't look bad - maybe I should put out a sign to inform passersby that they need to kneel to get the best view...

It does look very pretty in your pictures.

Leawood, it's also my first year with alliums. No buds on mine, either. But I thought most common varieties of allium were supposed to bloom in late spring or early summer, and not at the same time as early tulips?

I remember seeing purple allium blooms in my area last May, which is zone 7. It might even be later in the year for your zone.

My experience with other allium varieties (gladiator, christophi, gigantium) was similar to yours - they bloom in mid-late May in my garden. I selected the 'purple sensation' variety because it was described as an earlier variety. The 'olympic flame' tulips are supposed to be 'Mayflowering', but this year is so warm, they are fully open the last week in March. When I planned the bed, I knew it was a gamble, but I look upon all gardening as an 'experiment' - try it, and if it works, you win. If not, move on.

LG, the tulips look fantastic. Your neighbors are lucky to have a view of such beautiful tulips. They'll then get the benefit of the allium blooms later in the season. Annette

Hmmm My allium didn't come up either. It must have been a bad year for them. I still have some daffodils blooming which is pretty late here in AZ. It has been a weird weather year here.

Well, in the heat last week, all of my tulips expired. They simply cannot take hot, windy weather and that's what we had. The "Olympic Flame" tulips were 3 weeks earlier than last year, in my garden, and as a result, the allium I planted with them did not bloom at the same time.

Today it's cooler and we had a few drops of rain. Voila! The alliums are starting to bloom.

Oh well, it was just an experiment.

It is really too bad that the tulips did not last longer.

LG, your alliums are lovely. We also had the early warm up, and except for my pink daff mix, and a few Dutch irises, the spring blooming bulbs are about done for GA, and we well into clematis and peony blooms now. This weather has been crazy, now we're cooling off again next week, with temps back into the 60's, and even going to be going down to 38-46* at night starting tomorrow night. I'm actually loooking forward to the cooler weather.

Hopefully the weather will be back to normal next year, and you'll have your wish to see the tulips and alliums blooming together. Annette

Wow, that is amazing how quickly the tulip blooms came and went. But it sure was gorgeous! Thanks again for documenting. I hope the warm weather in the Midwest and south does not cause drought this summer. It worries me. Pacific NW with a huge snowpack, so we will be fine here.

I too am concerned about the potential for a long, hot summer, since our spring was so warm so early. We have not had much rain, so far, either, which is also a cause for concern. My water bills last summer were higher than I've ever had previously. I don't think I can afford another summer like last year's.

Well the summer was a scorcher (and drought, to boot), my water bills were astronomical and the annuals in this bed suffered badly. I dug the 'Olympic Flame' tulips and Allium, which I'll place in my new sun garden this week. I ordered double peony flowering tulips for this bed. I'll start a new forum to document their progress.

That should look beautiful.

Looking forward to seeing the new tulips

Yes yes, anticipating the beautiful gardens.

Here's a link to the new thread:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1287011/