Tulip bulbs

This question was asked by
Valerie P

Good morning, first of all congratulations on your latest award.
This spring I had a fabulous display of Triple A in a trough mixed with forget-me-nots.
Can I expect them to do the same next year or should I be lifting them ?
I also had the same bulbs in other containers which didn’t do well at all and some miniature tulips which never even appeared, any suggestions as to why.
On a good note my first lilies from the pink collection have just started, they’re fabulous.
Best regards
Valerie Pearson

Triple A Tulip

Good afternoon,

Thank you so much for your kind words — we’re absolutely thrilled about the award, and it’s lovely to hear that your Triple A tulips put on such a beautiful show this spring! Paired with forget-me-nots, that must have been a stunning combination.

In terms of whether they’ll flower again next year — tulips can be a little unpredictable when it comes to reflowering. While some varieties can come back for a second year, we generally recommend lifting them after the foliage has died back naturally. Once lifted, you can store them in a cool, dry place and replant them in autumn. This gives you the best chance of a strong show next spring. However, if the bulbs are planted deeply in good soil and seem healthy, you may choose to leave them in and see how they do.

As for the containers where the tulips didn’t perform, the issue could be down to a few things — poor drainage, shallow planting, or bulbs getting too wet and rotting over winter. Miniature tulips in particular can be a little sensitive. You might want to check the soil mix (adding grit can help), and make sure the pots aren’t holding too much moisture.

We’re so pleased to hear your Pink Collection lilies are starting to bloom — they really are a fabulous group! Do feel free to send us photos, we love seeing how our flowers are getting on in customers’ gardens.

The Hart Family

When will your tulips be available to purchase?

This question was asked by
Emmanuel N

Dear Sir/Madam

Hope you are well and safe.

I am interested in your tulip bulbs and would appreciate to know when does the sale of these bulbs begin for 2022/2023 season.

Kindest regards,

Emmanuel Naaman

HI Emmanuel
They should be back in stock very soon. If you click on the ‘Notify me when back’ in stock button, then you will receive an email as soon as they are back in stock.

Tulips

Uncle Tom Tulip

The Hart Family

How to avoid bulb from rotting

This question was asked by
Fliss T

Hello

As I am new to gardening please could you advise me how to avoid daffodil, tulip and crocus bulbs from rotting when planting in my garden boarders and pots.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you very much.

With Kind Regards

Fliss Tadrous

Hi Fliss

You need to ensure your soil has plenty of drainage. You can add some horticultural grit to your soil to encourage good drainage. But if you have clay soil, then you will need to plant your bulbs in pots and not in the garden. Hope this help.

Tulips planted in pots

The Hart Family

Planting bulbs

This question was asked by
Jane J

I purchased a large number of bulbs yesterday from your stall at Wisley.
My understanding is that it is best to wait to plant tulip bulbs when it is colder, late October to November. Do you agree?
If so, is it ok to store the bulbs in a dry garage in their sacks and brown paper bags?

Yes – you need to wait until the first frosts as they will kill any virus’s in the soil. You can store your tulips as they are in a cool, dark place like a garage etc. Ensure any rodents can’t get to them.

Tulips

Tulips

Tulipa Pride Mixed

The Hart Family

Tulips grown in pots

This question was asked by
Vanessa C

Having bought many bulbs from you over the years, for the first time last year I planted lots of them in pots.
I’d be grateful if you could tell me if they will flower again next spring if I just leave them?

Thank you
P.S. Our tree lilies are amazing by the way!!!!

Hi there,
Tulips are naturally perennials coming back year-after-year. However, in some circumstances when they do return they are smaller and don’t bloom as well in their second or third years.

Tulips will flower well for one year and then need lifting out of the soil and carefully stored if you want to use them again. Once everything has fully died back, you can lift them and store them in a dark, dry, airy place over summer, allowing the air to circulate around them. They can then be replanted in the Autumn.

Tulips

The Hart Family

Tulip Bulbs

This question was asked by
Michele soden

When is the right time to buy tulip bulbs for autumn planting?

Hi Michael

You can pre-order tulip bulbs now and they will be delivered in September.

However, we do advise waiting for the first frosts before planting your tulips, usually by November as this will wipe out any viral and fungal diseases that may be in the soil and which may infect the bulbs.

Tulips

Tulips

Tulips

The Hart Family

How big a pot for Allium Globemaster?

This question was asked by
Graham –

Hi just received my order of Allium Globemaster just wondering if they can be planted in pots if so what size would the pot have to be for 3 bulbs
Cheers Graham

HI Graham

Yes they can be planted in pots – ensure there is plenty of drainage, I would suggest planting 3 Allium Globemaster bulbs in a 18″ patio type pot.

Allium Globemaster (Pack of 3 Bulbs) (harts1111)

The Hart Family

How many tulip bulbs for a 5x5ft bed?

This question was asked by
Susan –

I have a raised bed 5ft by 5ft .l would like to plant tulips in the bed for the Spring. How many bulbs do I need to fill the space?

Hi Susan

It really depends on how packed you would like the bed. For a fuller display, I would recommend planting 100-150 tulip bulbs for this area.

The Hart Family

Daffodils for long flowering display

This question was asked by
David B – 

I could do with about 500 bulbs, different varieties, but split across the flowering time, so we get the longest display.

What can you do?

Hi David

We now have a new sear engine on our website where you can filter the varieties by flowering month. So you could enter May and choose which ones you like, then April and so forth.
Narcissi

I would suggest the following:

March Flowering:

Narcissus ‘Replete’ (Pack of 20 Bulbs) (harts1137121)

Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’ (Pack of 20 Bulbs) (harts113711)

April Flowering:

Narcissus ‘Tahiti’ (Pack of 20 Bulbs) (harts11371)

Narcissus ‘My Story’ (Pack of 15 Bulbs) (harts113712212)

May Flowering:

Narcissus ‘Pheasant’s Eye’ (Pack of 20 Bulbs) (harts1150)

The Hart Family