Hello. I'm a member of the Kent Garden Club here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are involved in the restoration of an Olmsted firm designed garden. We have the original plans and planting lists for "Brookby House", the John Blodgett estate built in 1927. The research so far has found the bulbs not available here in the states. Hortus Bulborum has them in there collection and a few Dutch sellers list a few. Unlikely we can get all we would need. I've basically concluded that we'll have to try and find comparable bulbs matching color and height from late single tulips with a few other late blooming doubles and Lily-types. Orange seems to be the hardest to find in the different hues used in the original plan.

I'm looking for further insight into sources of these heirloom bulbs. Or comments in general.

Below is list of the bulbs used. Attached is the plan of the bulb plantings.

Velvet King, 1912 (syn.: Velvet Gem; Dreadnought.) (HB) Dutch Florists Tulip. Bybloemen. Cup-shaped, large; bright dark red-purple; base small, sharply defined, white; 31 inches; May 14, 15 days. #10 on plan, 110 bulbs.

Ellen Willmott, 1900 (HB) One of the lily-flowering tulips blooms in soft primrose yellow with scented flowers. #38 on plan, 100 bulbs.

Fairy Queen, (HB) Cottage Tulip. Flower shot. Type 2: pointed. Form and substance good; outside light purple, passing to a paler margin, tinged with primrose-yellow; inside deep yellow, with a purplish flush; base dull; filaments with a black ring at apex; 30 inches; May 15, 14 days. #37 on plan, 110 bulbs.

Orange Beauty, 1905 (syn.; Prince of Orange.) (HB) Formerly classified as a Cottage Tulip. Flower orange scarlet. A form of 'Gesneriana' Large, opening well; form good, substance fair; outside with a purplish flush; base indefinite, yellow, streaked with olive; filaments olive; 26 inches; May 10, 16 days. #41 on plan, 100 bulbs.

Inglescombe Pink, 1908 (syn.: Parisian Aurore; Salmon Queen.) (NO-HB) Cottage Tulip. Flower pink. Type 1: cup-shaped. Large form and substance good; colour good, much deeper outside, pale blue; 25 inches; May 8, 17 days. #39 on plan, 123 bulbs.

Grenadier, 1912 (HB) Cottage Tulip. Flower orange-scarlet. Type 3: egg-shaped. Large, form and substance good; colour very bright, yellow; 21 inches; May 8, 17 days. #40 on plan, 75 plus 40 bulbs.

John Ruskin, 1904 (HB) Cottage Tulip. Flower shot. Type 3: egg-shaped. Form and substance fair; pink and orange; base yellowish, with olive ring; 24 inches; May 10, 15 days. #42 on plan, 123 bulbs.

Orange King, 1903 (HB) Formerly classified as a Cottage Tulip. Flower orange-scarlet. Form and substance good; base yellow, with a faint olive margin and an olive blotch on each outer segment; 29 inches; May 8,19 days. #43 on plan, 75 bulbs.

Vitellina, 1896 (HB) Cottage Tulip. Flower primrose. Type 2: pointed. Long, form and substance good; 31 inches; May 16, 12 days. #44 on plan, 500 bulbs.

gesneriana L. Spathulata, 1904 (HB) Cottage Tulip. Flower cochineal-red. Type 2: pointed. Large, of good substance, opening well; colour bright and clear, clear bright blue; 28 inches; May 8, 18 days. A strong and brilliant garden flower. #45 on plan, 460 bulbs.

Cardinal Manning, 1913 (HB) Dutch Florists Tulip. Bybloemen. Egg-shape, large; Bishop's purple; base diffuse, tinged yellow; filaments blue at apex; 34 inches; May 8, 22 days. #21 on plan, 40 bulbs.

A "Pink" Insulinde which has no cultivar named on the list. The closest I've found for that one is Zomerschoonz. #46 on plan, 40 bulbs.

https://www.facebook.com/Frien...

Have you checked with Old House Gardens - they deal in heirloom tulips and other bulbs exclusively.
http://www.oldhousegardens.com...
Their selections change with different years, they are very helpful and insightful whenever I've communicated with them.

Welcome to the site. Check out the tulip database here, you may hit on one you need, you could inquire of the grower perhaps.

Tim at Colorblends/Schippers would probably be very helpful.

Thanks for the reply's. I've talked to oldhosegardens, they don't have anything but the Zomerschoonz. Colorblends is one of the catalogs I've gone through looking for comparables. I've made contacts with some overseas forums for help also. BTW - most of the tulips were on the data base. Attached is a photo showing the first year(May 1928) of bloom in the Chinese Garden at "Brookby House" -

I am sorry I can not be of any help , but it looks like a very interesting garden and project.
Wish you luck , and please post a progress report , especially in the spring , I am sure it will be most beautiful.




PS.
Olmsted, My husbands mom's maiden name

Here is an update on the bulbs chosen - https://www.facebook.com/perma...

Here's a site which might interest you. They catalog Old Tulip varieties and what collections they are in.

http://oldtulips.org/index.php...

Steve