Tulips are a free gift every year!

No matter how tired you are of planting this fall, make sure you create for yourself a tulip garden.  They are a wonderful way to celebrate your efforts of yesteryear.  And no matter how many springs come and go, I am always surprised by the splendor of these florae!

theflowerexpert.com provides these tips on growing tulips:

• Select the location for planting.
• Prepare the soil by working it well, removing rocks and weeds.
• Mix in plenty of organic material and fertilizer.
• Special bulb formulas and bone meal work best.
• The Tulips will bloom in almost any soil with a good drainage.
• When buying Tulip bulbs, select only the finest quality bulbs. In general the bigger the bulb, the bigger the bloom.
• Follow the directions from the supplier for spacing and depth. If no directions are included, plant the bulbs 6-8″ apart and at a depth twice the diameter of the bulb.
• After the Tulips bloom, let the plant continue to grow until it dies off. During the post bloom period, the plant sends energy to the bulb to store for use next spring.
• Tulips require a period of cold while they are dormant and resting between shows.

Some suggest digging up your bulbs after they have bloomed and storing them in a cool dry area for replanting in the fall. NOT ME!  I planted these tulips about 9 years ago and this is the sight from my front window today:

Something I have never considered, is planting them in pots and then storing them in the garage to allow them to winter over and then bringing them out in the spring to place them anywhere you want for that splash of springtime color!  I love this idea!!

Tulips!  A free gift to me every spring.