Eagle Lake Nurseries Gardening Tips

September 2005

Early Flowering Tulips

After a long cold winter, nothing says "spring" like clusters of colourful tulips. Early blooming tulips are strong and sturdy enough to stand up to our unpredictable spring weather. Here are some of the best early flowering varieties available this year at our Garden Center.

Single Early Tulips
Single large blossoms on short stems.
  • Boccherini - 50cm tall with lilac-purple flowers
  • Christmas Marvel-35cm tall with cherry pink flowers
  • Yokohama-35cm tall with cheerful yellow flowers
    • Double Early Tulips
    Short strong stems support pointed double blossoms. Usually fragrant.
  • Abba-30cm tall with fragrant red flowers
  • Peach Blossom-25cm tall with pink flowers
    • Greigii Tulips
    Single blooms are large and the leaves have interesting spots or stripes.
  • Oriental Beauty-30cm tall with carmine red flowers
  • Cape Cod-30cm tall red flowers edged with yellow
    • Fosteriana (Emperor)Tulips
    The giants of the early tulips. Large slender single flowers.
  • Orange Emperor-40 cm tall with orange flowers
  • White Emperor-45 cm tall with fragrant white flowers
  • Red Emperor-40cm tall with red flowers
    • Forcing Tulips
    An arrangement of potted tulips in bloom can brighten up the dreariest winter day. Our past experience of forcing bulbs has taught us that the early flowering types have the best response. To begin, fill potting soil to half way of the planter you are using, then gently place the tulip bulbs flat side down. Place them close together but not touching. Cover with potting soil and water thoroughly. After the water has drained, more potting soil will likely be needed to cover completely. Place in the fridge for about three months. Potted tulip bulbs require a 12 to 15 week cold period at about the temperature of a fridge in order to flower in the spring. After this vernalization or cold period, bring the pot out to a warm sunny room and rotate the tulips each day so that they don't lean in one direction stretching towards the sun. Watch them bloom and enjoy the spectacular color when the garden outside is months away from waking up.

    Jennifer Seafoot
    Eagle Lake Nurseries Ltd.