Longwood Elegant Pink Bulb Collection

When our friends at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, had to close during the Covid-19 crisis in spring of 2020, no visitors had the pleasure of seeing the magnificent Tulip display orchestrated by Andrea Brunsendorf, director of the Outdoor Landscapes, and the Longwood staff. But because we were inspired by the photographs and stories of the display, we opted to partner with Longwood to offer the similar Elegant Pink Bulb Collection.

Andrea’s bulb mix takes its inspiration from what she calls spring’s ephemeral moments – the fleeting changes of light, color, and bloom that define the season. It begins with a base layer of perennial, white-flowering favorites: fragrant heirloom Narcissus ‘Thalia’ and Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus, and the ‘snowflake’ flowers of Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant.’ To that, she adds a sequence of pink- and purple-flowering Tulips that blossom from early to late spring.

Andrea offers two approaches to planting the collection. To orchestrate a symphony of bloom that leads to a crescendo, as they did at Longwood, simply decide when you want the peak moment to occur. If you choose late season, then concentrate your planting of all late spring bulbs in one area of the garden, sprinkling the early and mid-season varieties in and around them to build up to the big moment and soften the transitions. If you prefer to plant in a more painterly style, Andrea suggests mixing up all the bulbs in one bucket, tossing them (gently) and randomly onto the ground, and planting them where they fall.

12 bulbs of each of 11 labeled varieties for a total of 132 bulbs. For a dense display of color, we recommend 4" spacing between bulbs, to cover approximately 13 square feet.

Base layer of perennial bulbs:

• Narcissus 'Thalia'
• Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus
• Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant'

 

Early to mid-season Tulips:

• Tulip 'Candy Prince'
• Tulip 'Janis Joplin'

 

Mid- to late-season Tulips:

• Tulip 'National Velvet'
• Tulip 'Purple Dream'
• Tulip 'Paul Scherer'

 

Late Tulips:

• Tulip 'Aveyron'
• Tulip 'Violet Beauty'
• Tulip 'Queen of Night'

 

Narcissus and Leucojum blooms are for many gardeners the first visible signs of spring. These vigorous, long-lived bulbs thrive in sunny, well-drained places, are shunned by hungry deer and voles, and will thrive and multiply with little care on your part, creating a glorious landscape and a horticultural legacy. Remove dried up foliage after it has died down completely

Tulipa is an enormous genus, consisting of approximately 75 species. Tulips are native to areas including the Middle East and the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. These regions have long cold winters and hot, bone-dry summers, and these are the conditions in which Tulips perennialize (or, in other words, return year after year) most successfully. In North America, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to replicate these climactic conditions, and as a result, we recommend that most Tulips are treated as annuals. Plant the bulbs in fall, enjoy their colorful blossoms in spring, and when the flowers subside, remove the plants, including the bulbs, and compost or discard them. The advantages to this ritual are three-fold: You won’t spend weeks of spring waiting for second- or third-year Tulips that don’t bloom; you won’t spend weeks eyeing yellowing and decaying Tulip foliage in your gardens; and you can look forward to the considerable delight of choosing new varieties, colors, and forms each season to refresh your display.

Tips for Good Tulip Culture:

• In the fall, plant Tulip bulbs in a sunny site with very well-drained soil.
• Plant the bulbs at least 6” deep so they stay insulated through the winter but remain cool as temperatures begin to rise in spring. (Bulbs that are kept cool in spring tend to blossom for a longer period.)
• Treat most Tulips as annuals. Enjoy the flowers in spring, and when they subside, remove the entire plant, including the bulb, and compost or discard.
• Choose Tulip varieties for next spring, and plant them in fall.

HOW PLANTS ARE SHIPPED

The size of the plants we ship has been selected to reduce the shock of transplanting. For some, this means a large, bareroot crown. Others cannot travel bareroot or transplant best if grown in containers. We ship these perennials and annuals in 1 pint pots, except as noted. We must point out that many perennials will not bloom the first year after planting, but will the following year, amply rewarding your patience. We ship bulbs as dormant, bare bulbs, sometimes with some wood shavings or moss. Shrubs, Roses, vines, and other woody plants may be shipped bareroot or in pots. The size of the pot is noted in the quick facts for each item.

WHEN WE SHIP

We ship our bulbs and plants at the right time for planting in your area, except as noted, with orders dispatched on a first-come, first-served basis by climate zone. We also ship a wide range of containers and planters, tools, supplies, fertilizers, garden wear, garden decor items, as well as indoor decorations like wreaths and dried bouquets when available. Estimated dates for shipping are indicated in the green Shipping Details box for each item. Please supply a street address for delivery. Kindly contact us with two weeks notice, if you'll be away at the expected time of delivery.

OUR GUARANTEE

We guarantee to ship plants that are in prime condition for growing. If your order is damaged or fails to meet your expectations, we will cheerfully replace or refund it. Please contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-503-9624 or email us at [email protected]. Please include your order number or customer number when contacting us.