A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Tulips

My dafs have already bloomed and my tulips are now blooming. Here's one bed with some pansies in the background.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e47/alankhart/001-4.jpg

Hi Alan great to see you posting.

I, of course, have some questions. First off, how do you manage to have tulips and columbine in the same space when the tulips like full sun and the columbine like part shade? Second question, What is that plant toward the front with 7 leaves like a hand? Third question, Do you group all of your plants by color. Like you have all of the same color of tulip in that picture. Is that better looking than say having mixed colors of tulips all in one place?

Lovely, Alan.

First, there is a dogwood tree behind that bed (that you can't see in the photo)that eventually gives the back end more shade, so the columbines do great because they get half sun and half shade.

Second, I think you are looking at the Tutti Frutti Lupine.

Third, I don't always group by color, but I think a bunch of one color tulips looks better and has more impact than mixed colors, but that's just my opinion. I try to group same color plants in at least 3's, but that doesn't always work if I don't have the space.

I love the way you have your garden. You wouldn't happen to be travelling to Virginia anytime soon would you? Not that I'm hinting or anything lol. I've had one of those discouraging winters when none of my winter sow came up, so I'm looking for moral support I guess. Once I can get back into the garden I'm sure I'll be in a much better mood.

Keep the pictures comming please.

Well, I have relatives in Virginia...east of Roanoke on the Rappahanock River, so you never know...I might just show up on your doorstep some day!

You know you would be more than welcome. Now I'll have to figure out which river runs down the valley I live in, lol. I'm so slow to explore farther than my own garden.

Lovely picture, Alan!

I, too, prefer tulips grouped by color usually. And, I also have tulips growing in the same area where my columbine grows. The thing is, TK, the tulips here bloom way before the white birch tree leaves fill out just in time to shade the columbines - works well for me at least.

Thanks for the explanation Plants 'n pots. I appreciate it. My columbines are already up but not blooming yet and the trees are still more bare than anything else.