I think it is early for tulips to be growing but many of mine have started showing folliage already. Not too much but still. This will be the second spring for these bulbs. They are darwins and I planted them really deeply as I wanted my tulips to keep coming year after year. Last spring (first year) the blooms were stunning. I hope there is a lot of bloom this spring and not just folliage but we will see.

Today is another nice day and I was outside this afternoon pushing off and taking off mulch that had blown around (fall leaves) off some of the tulips. As I said above the three new sections of Darwins which are now on their second spring are coming up really nicely. I planted them deeply not last fall but the year before. At this stage just from looking I can't see any difference between what they looked like last spring coming up and what they look like now. Meaning the beds looks full with lots of tulips so looks like great return.

But I was also removing mulch from the section of the extra early mix I bought from Scheepers. Those are not Darwins, they bloom earlier. I had 200 but from the looks of what is coming up, nowhere near that now. Poor return. Looks like less than half of what I had last year. I am hoping that since it is still early more of those tulips might still come up but not sure that will happen. I should of planted more of those extra earlies along in that same section like I thought of doing this past fall but for some reason I didn't order them and didn't do it. As of now I deffinately plan to add more of them this fall.

Then I also have a section in another garden bed. Some perrenials in the back (columbines) then a row of daffs in front of that. Literally a row because that is how I planted them. Then a row of clumps of tulips in front of the daffs. They were planted 5 of a type in a grouping in a hole. Then dig next hole next to it and five more and so on. Well some clumps comming up but bare spots between them which means certain clumps not coming up at all. These were non darwins, don't remember which class, that I bought because they were so pretty. Planted just as deeply. So no knowing if they might show up but not looking promising. I will have to replant there by just marking with a brick each empty spot in the row so I know were to put new clumps in the fall.

In this picture you can see some daffs blooming and the tulip fiolliage in front of them growing nicely.

The tulips have really grown what with the warm weather we have had for the past few days and are still having. No pictures as they are nothing but leaves but they sure are growing!

So looking for tulips again I do have more of the early flowering mix that came up than I originally thought I had. So that is good. Definately going to get at least 100 more this fall to add to those already there.

But in another row of tulips were I had then in groups of five that I tried from Brent and Beckies, those that came up weeks ago are there and the empty spots are still there meaning I think the ones planted there are gonners. I can't remember what they were but not Darwins so I knew I really took a chance with no return but I remember I just wanted to try.

My darwins from two falls ago, rows of Mixed Darwin, Beauty of Apeldoom and Gusdoshnik all came back really well and are looking great. Still too early for bloom buds to show though.

So the tulip folliage is really showing but no buds yet.

A little fuzzy but the T. praestans Unicum are showy before the flowers bloom.

I'm just now starting to see some tiny tulip tips poking up above ground. But it's still pretty cold here; 25 this AM with a high of only 43 and more snow on the way!

These are the row of Beauty of Apeldoorn in the mid front yard today.



And in the backyard the darwin mix.



Harder to see in all the mulch are the front yard early tulip mix that is between and in back of two rows of daylilies.

The tulips are showing buds. I swear they appeared overnight as there were none and now there are buds all over.

Show us snow covered folks some pictures when they bloom!

I sure will. I can;t wait to see them.

These tulip leaves have flopped down and are no yet showing any buds.


Front yard early tulips looking good.


Buds coming on some other tulips.

My first tulip blooms of the year are open today. But most are still tight buds so will have to still wait for the bigger show. It is really much colder today than it has been for a while. That might slow them down some more.

Early tulips in the front yard are starting to open.



Mixed Darwin tulips are in bud but not ready to bloom yet.




Other purple tulips in the backyard came open yesterday.

An update on my t. praestans Unicum that I posted earlier. They are blooming now but we have had some really cold weather and the flowers have been damaged by the frost.

My tulips are blooming..yesterday the pink ones started blooming. I think those may be called "Pretty in Pink" triumph tulips and of course, my yellow daffs are stiff blooming but the hard rain ruined the white and yellow ones on the side of the house that started blooming first. I know I have other colors planted but don't remember colors except apricot and lavender/purple. It is always fun to see each color bloom.

I think I have all of them marked with metal plant ID tag but I think I'll try to get some yarn that matches each color and tie is around them somewhere. I realize the yarn may fade and birds might decide to use it to built nest with it. Gardening is all about trial and error, and surprizes, isn't it?

Brian, they are beautiful. Sorry about the frost damage.

Purple tulips blooming.




Darwins starting up.

But most are like this, not open yet.

Yellow in back

Orangy one

Ooooh, like the purple ones! And that orangy one is interesting, too! Only flowers we got here are on my indoor cyclamen.