Tulips span the deep reds and warm oranges of sunsets and the dusty lilacs and vivid pinks of cotton candy. So it’s no wonder that tulips are so popular in both the vases and gardens of so many people across the country.
Hever Castle in Kent is home to a staggering 25,000 individual tulips in a fantastic range of colors and varieties.
Hever Castle’s head gardener, Neil Miller, takes us on a video tour of the grounds and the impressive flowering tulips.
Below, you can find much of his advice on growing tulips in our helpful guide. You can also learn more about how to care for tulips after planting and which of the best varieties of tulips are out there.
According to Neil, one of the great things about tulips is, “There are many, many different varieties to suit all tastes.”
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How to grow tulips
Tulips start as seeds, but are best planted from bulbs. They can be planted directly in the soil of your garden or plot, or you can grow them in pots.
How deep to plant tulip bulbs
As gardener Neil explains, the key to growing tulips is to plant them deep in the ground.
“When you have your tiny tulip bulb, plant it in the ground or in a pot about three times as deep,” he says.
Neil also explains that one of the biggest problems for tulips, and not climate or other conditions, is being eaten by squirrels.
“The tulip bulb is like caviar to the squirrel,” he says. “It’s best to cover them with chicken wire, or there are several different repellants to sprinkle with, like chilli flakes or garlic powder, which has a strong odor.”
How to care for tulips
Fortunately, tulips are a relatively easy-care choice for growing flowers and are also very hardy.
“They’ll take frost, they’ll take snow, they’ll endure the cold weather, they’ll endure the wet to some degree,” says Neil. “They’ll take care of themselves, only water them when it’s particularly dry.”
Once your tulips have finished blooming and their blooming is finished, Neil recommends pruning both the flower and the stem.
“It just helps the flower don’t go into seed, and all goodness goes back into the bulb,” he explains. “You will get a nice advertisement for the following season.”
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When to grow tulips
Tulips bloom in late spring and are best planted during the winter months.
“Unlike other onions, they benefit from being grown later in the November season [or] December, ”says gardening professional Neil Miller. “You can also schedule it in January at the push of a button.”
After a few months underground, you should start seeing the bulbs bloom.
“The tulips begin to bloom in mid-April. They will continue to bloom until the end of May, ”says Neil.
Types of tulips
There are a wide variety of varieties of tulips to choose from, making them a great choice if you want to add a range of colors to your garden.
Neil Miller of Hever Castle explains that tulips “are probably the only species that has the entire rainbow – the entire spectrum – close enough [of colour]. ”
Below he highlights some of his favorite varieties.
Parrot tulips
Neil recommends these tulips for the “beautiful, pinnate petals on them”.
‘Parrot Mixed’ tulip
£ 8.99
Apricot impression gauntlets
This variety loves the sun, so it is ideal for a bright spot in the garden. An apricot-print tulip is “a nice shade of orange and you will notice that there are little green streaks going through it,” says Neil.
Tulipa ‘Apricot Impression’ (PBR)
£ 4.99 each
Color prince tulips
The experienced gardener Neil highlights the Color Prince variety with its soft pink tones with cotton candy.
Tulip Bulbs – Prince Mix (early single)
£ 12.99
Abbu Hassan tulips
This variety was chosen for the “deep red and golden yellow tips” and Neil says the flower “really makes a statement in any garden”.
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What to plant with tulips
If you want to upgrade your tulip display, Neil Miller recommends adding small flowers like violas to the arrangement
“Don’t be afraid when you are planting tulips, be adventurous and you can plant little things in between to make a real carpet of color,” he says.
If you are looking for a “continuous gradient every month of the year,” tulips should be planted before wisteria, roses, and then dahlias.
This means that at the end of the tulips, the vivid wisteria will bloom before the roses, etc., so the blooms will continue to develop in full bloom.
‘David Howard’ Dahlia
£ 14.39
Viola Seeds – Fancy Shades Mix
£ 1.99
Rose seeds – garden party
£ 2.99
Chinese wisteria (syn.Wisteria sinensis Alba)
£ 34.99
To visit Hever Castle or for more information, visit the Hever Castle website.
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