Planting Tulips in Fall: A Little Work Now for a Beautiful Spring Garden
Planting Tulips in Fall: A Little Work Now for a Beautiful Spring Garden
It's tulip planting season here in Ontario! While we're busy digging dahlias and putting the flower fields to bed for winter, we're also making plans for one of our favourite times of year — spring tulip season.
There is something pretty wonderful about planting a little brown bulb in the cool autumn soil, knowing that in just a few months it will turn into something spectacular.
Here at The Wandering Bee Flower Farm, we grow thousands of tulips each spring for our cut flower bouquets. And while we love the classic tulips, we have a particular soft spot for the unusual ones — especially parrot tulips!
This fall, we've put together a collection of some of our favourite tulip varieties so you can grow a little bit of that spring magic in your own garden.
Why Fall Is the Best Time to Plant Tulip Bulbs in Ontario
If you've been thinking about adding tulips to your garden, now is the time!
Tulips need a period of cold weather to develop properly, which is why we plant the bulbs in autumn and let our Canadian winter do its work.
In Southwestern Ontario, October and November are generally ideal months for planting tulip bulbs. The soil has cooled down, but there is usually still plenty of time to get those bulbs tucked into the ground before it freezes.
A few tips for planting tulip bulbs:
Choose a sunny spot. Tulips love sunshine, especially in spring before the trees have fully leafed out.
Plant about 6–8 inches deep. Measure from the base of the bulb, and plant with the pointed end facing up.
Make sure the soil drains well. Tulips don't like sitting in soggy soil.
Plant in groups. Rather than scattering individual bulbs around the garden, try planting clusters of 5, 10 or more for a beautiful display.
Water after planting. Give your bulbs a good drink to help settle the soil around them.
And then comes the easy part — waiting for spring!
Parrot Tulips: The Showstoppers of the Spring Garden
If you haven't grown parrot tulips before, you're in for a treat.
These are not your ordinary tulips.
Parrot tulips have wonderfully ruffled, fringed and sometimes twisted petals that almost look like they've been painted by hand. Their blooms are often large and full of movement, with incredible combinations of colour.
Some have dramatic streaks of red and green, others are soft shades of peach and pink, and some change colour as they mature.
They're a little wild, a little extravagant, and absolutely beautiful.
One of the things I love most about parrot tulips is watching them open. A flower that starts out looking like a fairly traditional tulip can become something completely different over a few days.
They are also some of our favourite tulips to use in spring flower arrangements. Their interesting shapes and colours make even a few stems in a vase feel special.
Some of Our Favourite Parrot Tulips to Grow
This year, we're offering a lovely selection of parrot tulip bulbs, including:
Apricot Parrot — Beautiful warm apricot tones with touches of pink and green. A wonderful choice for a softer, romantic spring garden.
Rococo — A dramatic parrot tulip with fiery red petals and flashes of green. This one certainly knows how to make an entrance!
Estella Rijnveld — With its striking red and white feathered petals, this is a tulip that always catches your eye.
Dee Jay Parrot — A colourful, ruffled variety that brings a playful touch to the spring garden.
Secret Parrot — A beautiful, richly coloured tulip with the wonderfully textured petals that make parrot varieties so interesting.
We have several other parrot varieties available too, along with some beautiful classic tulips for those who prefer a more traditional spring display.
Planting Tulips for Cutting
If you love bringing flowers into your home, consider planting a few extra tulips specifically for cutting.
We grow tulips as a cut flower crop here at the farm, and there is nothing quite like gathering a handful of fresh tulips on a spring morning.
For home gardeners, planting bulbs in generous groups or rows makes it easier to harvest a few stems without leaving big gaps in your garden.
And don't be afraid to mix varieties! A combination of parrot tulips and more traditional single or double tulips can make a gorgeous spring bouquet.
One thing to remember is that tulips continue to grow and change after they're cut. It's part of their charm! Give them fresh, cool water and enjoy watching them change in the vase.
A Few Extra Tulips Just for You
Every fall, as we're planning the tulip fields for the coming spring, I always find myself setting aside a few varieties to plant around the house too.
Not everything has to be grown for cutting or selling. Sometimes it's nice to have flowers planted simply because they make you happy.
A cluster of tulips beside the front door, along a garden path, or tucked into a favourite garden bed can bring so much colour after a long winter.
And if you're planting for the first time, tulips are a wonderful place to start.
Grow a Little Spring With Us!
Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be busy planting our own tulip fields here at The Wandering Bee Flower Farm in Thorndale, Ontario, and we'd love for you to plant along with us.
We've made a selection of our favourite tulip bulbs available through our online flower shop, including a wide range of those beautiful parrot tulips that we love so much.
Our bulbs are available for Canada-wide shipping, local delivery, farm pickup, or pickup at the Covent Garden Market in London on Saturdays.
So whether you're planting a whole new spring garden, adding a few special varieties to an existing one, or simply treating yourself to some flowers for next spring, now is a wonderful time to get planting.
Shop Tulip Bulbs at The Wandering Bee Flower Farm
Happy planting!
The Wandering Bee Flower Farm
Thorndale, Ontario
