has anyone mixed different orange colored tulips?

My neighbor just loves orange flowers (yes, I gave her some of those 'Little Princess' species tulips). She wants me to help her order some tulips for spring. I wondered if anyone had tried mixing different orange colored tulips? Are there any that just "don't go" with the others? A lively combo is what we're after, but I'm trying to avoid any hideous clashes.... LOL

We're looking at: Taco Tulip, Prarie Fire, Monsella, Casa Grande, and Princess Irene. Will probably also add Juan, but the Emperors are supposed to bloom earlier, so clashing shouldn't be a problem.

Input, anyone?

Thanks!

I love the idea. By using lots of varieties the show will last throughout spring. Some late singles, parrots, lily flowering, or late doubles may be nice to extend the season on in to May (some nice oranges to!). I don't think clashing will be much of a problem. Some of the oranges have a red or magenta sheen, but it comes off as fire tones.

Will there be anything else, or just a mass of tulips? Wondering if any contrasing colors are being used nearby. Neal.

This is just a landscape bed along her front walk. She's renting, so she's really limited in what she's able (or willing, for that matter) to do. We just pulled out 2 of the overgrown creeping junipers and replaced them with small rhodis, so now there is a little more room in this narrow bed. There are some grape hyacinths along one edge that she put in last year, and that should be a good combination with any orange.

I like your use of the term "fire tones!" That does describe what we have in mind, I think... and it reassures me that all these orange/yellow/red colors will work together just fine. I was just having a hard time picturing the effect from individual tulip photos!

I was thinking blue/purple would be nice with all that orange. Would love to see pics in spring.

of course! :-)

Thanks for your input!

I really love Casa Grande! I think Princess Irene would look nice in front of it. I know PI is an early bloomer, but she comes up later than the Darwin Hybrids for me and about the same time as Casa Grande....be sure you put her in front because she is beautiful but short.

I love Apricot Impression the Giant DH and for a late bloomer consider

Dordogne: Bright rose on tangerine. I couldn't imagine it, but last year at the end of the tulips when the really tall ones are out This was the one that pulled me in. Just as Casa Grande fades.

CG is a greggi with wonderful leaves. The blooms are the size of my big fist and looks like a torch. Here's an image of it.

Wow! Now THAT is a beautiful sight! Is spring here yet?

Oohhh! Wonderful picture! Thanks for the info, especially about Casa Grande & Princess Irene blooming pretty much together.

Lowe's had their bulbs on clearance, so I picked up a bunch for her there.... I may still order a couple extras when I place an eflowergarden order, but I think she's pretty well set, since she wasn't looking to spend more than $20 to $30. (She can't believe what I spend on my garden... but I can't believe what she'll pay for a handbag, LOL! We're quite different in our interests, which keeps our friendship lively.)

although some red may now be in the mix. 'Spring Song' had a picture that made it look coral pink & orange, but I looked it up last night and found a couple of descriptions (no pics) that called it "red." Oh, well.... at $4 for 50 bulbs, I couldn't resist the bargain.

I did get some Dordonge for her, so was delighted to get a good report on those!

Here's what I managed to pick up -- 115 bulbs for $21!

15 'Heart's Delight' -- early white/rose/yellow waterlily tulip
16 Orange Emperor -- early orange
15 mixed miniature tulips -- will go in front of a clump of mixed tulips she put in last year
50 'Spring Song' -- midspring bloom, looked coral & orange to me, but might be red!
18 'Dordonge' -- late, rose/tangerine
1 'Aurora' crown imperial (most of the remaining ones looked sad, but this one looked OK for $3)

"....I can't believe what she'll pay for a handbag!"

I had a hearty laugh and nod on that one.


That's a whole other thread:
How I rationalize spending so much money on bulbs.....
Gardening clothes don't need designer labels, no point in paying for a manicure when I know I'm going to ding in the dirt again soon (but nailpolish does hide a lot), It's only once a year. They had a great sale here, and there and maybe online tomorrow.....

Sounds like a great coupe on the bargain bulbs. Promise to post pictures. I have fridge in the garage set at 45 degrees and have to squirrel my bulbs away to plant after Christmas....but I very good at staching them in.

One more Tulip pic. This is Orange Bowl and Bellona

oooohhhh! I should show Valerie your pictures.... :-) Actually, I do understand her point about not putting much money into her yard since they'll only be here a couple more years. They're renting, so they're also limited to the original little foundation beds that the builder installed. But she's done a bit of amending those beds and made room for a few things she likes. She really enjoyed her spring tulip display last year, and I gave her a few things to add some summer color. And since she's just a few houses down the street, she can enjoy my flowers any time she wants, and she says that's better than putting in gardens of her own, LOL!

Her two girls like helping me when I'm out in the garden, especially the younger one. My DH calls her my "Paduon learner," a la George Lucas. :-) He says I'm pretty good at pulling a Tom Sawyer (remember that white picket fence?) on the neighborhood kids.... from time to time, I get help with all sorts of things, even picking rocks or pulling weeds! DH noted that one of the kids had picked a few of my very sparse raspberries recently, and I assured him that she had "picking rights" in the patch since she'd dug so many weeds & thistles out of it last spring! Well... that was a digression, wasn't it?

oh, and of course I'll post pictures of Valerie's tulips as well as my own flowers this spring! :-)