PREPARE FOR TULIP TIME

Evening Star, Issue 22881, 12 February 1938, Page 21

PREPARE FOR TULIP TIME

Tulips are perhaps the most popular flowers for spring bedding, because of their hardiness, ease of cultivation, and richness of colour (says ‘ Popular Gardening,’ London). Set the bulbs 9in apart and 4in to Sin deep, according to the texture of the 80 i >re P are 'khe beds by digging thoroughly and breaking down the soil to a good tilth. Do not add fresh manure, which is harmful to the bulbs, but dress the sun-face with bonemeal, 4oz per square yard, working it well into the ground as digging, proceeds. When planting choice kinds, surround each ,bulb with silver sand after it is placed in position, if the soil is clayey. Tulips are displayed to their best advantage when planted' amongst a groundwork of dwarf plants such as for-get-me-not, wallflower, silene compacta,and aubrietia, and many charming colour schemes can be obtained with blending or contrasting colours. There is a bewildering number of varieties from which to choose; but' some of the older ones still retain their popularity. The pink Clara Butt is still a favourite. The delicate rose-pink of its petals associates particularly well with myosotrs royal .blue, one of the best forget-me-nots to use as a groundwork. Farncombe Sanders, another old favourite with scarlet flowers, is best displayed against a groundwork of double Afabis, so is Pride of Haarlem, dark vermilion, and La Tulipe Noire (black tulip) with glossy purplish black petals. Blushing Bride, carmine pink, flushed with white; Inglescombe Pink, salmon pink; King Mauve, soft lilac: Faust, blackish purple, and Carrara, white, are all reliable varieties. This selection by no means exhausts the varieties obtainable; more will be found; in a bulb catalogue.