Recommendations for Multi-year or species tulips

Yep - Fall is coming - ironic I'm saying that and it hasn't even gotten warm here - but that is another story. Even though I'm in Dublin, Doug, my better-natured half, still lives at the house in NY and I return in a little over a year and a half. I'm just kicking myself at planting almost a thousand bulbs in '03 and moving before I could enjoy them. His pictures didn't quite capture the fruits of our back aches.

After years of work - I'd like to think our yard is pretty much done - except the spring bulbs. As I understand, tulips do well the first year, moderately the second (if lucky) and eventually peter out.

I know there are species tulips, etc. - and I would like to get some recommendations on bulbs that Doug could plant this fall that will last over several years. Dare I hope?

Cheers,
Sandra

Hey Sandra,

I'm new at tulips, but I inherited some Queen of the Night and some lily flowered ones on a rental property, the first year only Darwin Hybrids (red and yellows) bloomed, but after turning the soil and amending it so it wasn't hard baked clay, the older varieties did come back.. and bloom.. very well, actually.

I read this year that tulips like to be very dry for the summer.. so if you have a big maple or other moisture sucking tree in a place where they'll be alright as far as light goes, you might try moving some of your petered out varieties there. Also, I did use bulb booster on some (also organic compost) and I've heard that they do want to be fed.. though I'm sure some other people will have more experience with when to do this etc.

As for species tulips... I can't help you pick any but I do want some as well... I had this great little yellow one that was almost the size of a large crocus at the aforementioned rental house, also some gregii tulips though I couldn't say what kinds... I'll certainly admit that they were much less fussy than any of the larger fancier ones ;)

Hope that helps a little, good luck,
Byron.

In my experience, I recommend Darwin tulips for longevity. There are a lot of varieties, not just red and yellow. I think that weeds and too much summer moisture have been the end of most of the tulips of any kind that I have lost over the years...So lately I have been digging mine up after the foliage dies down, and replanting in a nice weedfree place come late fall. Without fertilizer, and probably not planting deep enough, they form many new bulbs each year. I just plant the babies closer to the surface and let them grow to bloom size with their family...This year I plan to start
fertilizing them.

I have others that are not Darwins that are still with me after many years: Solstice, Apricot Parrot, Queen of the Night, Prince's Irene, Don Juan, Spring Green (a special favorite)

I have an idea for tulips that I can leave right where they grow all year: A gently raised bed, or berm with tulips planted at the top, iris next down the slope, and daylilies around the bottom. My logic is that aafter blooming, I could quit watering the top two, and just water the daylilies around the bottom with a soaker hose.

Thanks for bringing this subject up - it's really not too early to start planning for next spring's wonderful gift!