Time for Tulips: Look to Fashion for Your Spring Palette

October 21, 2014 | By webadmin

Each year Pantone releases their colors of the season. Next year’s theme is called “En Plein Air”, which is a French phrase meaning "in the open air". For spring 2015, the color forecast calls for toned down brights and coordinating neutrals. Sky blue, teal, navy, orange and pink combine with grays and tans to give a soft, soothing effect to fashion ensembles. The combinations are soothing and breezy. It’s always fun to take cues from fashion when it comes to designing new landscapes or color displays. So when we’re crafting spring tulip combinations we can take inspiration from contemporary fashion color trends.

Now is the time to think about and plan for your favorite colors in the spring garden! Once soil temperatures cool to a consistent 50-54°F, around mid- to late-December, we’ll be planting tulips for spring color.  If the soil is too warm, your bulbs may sprout foliage before they've put down adequate roots, resulting in poor blooming. We only use properly chilled bulbs and always plant bulbs at the proper depth. Deeper is always better. When tulips are not planted deep enough, it will cause them to “blast”, a condition where tulips will bloom too early at the base of the stem. Most tulips are annuals in our area; they must be chilled and replanted each year. It may seem like work, but the rewards in spring far outweigh the effort!

TIP: Plant in large clumps of color to make a bigger impact. Avoid planting in single rows for a disappointing display.

Create a soft, neutral feel in your spring landscape by planting tulip favorites in pink, orange and yellow. We love 'Menton', 'Blushing Beauty', ‘Orange Favorite’ and 'Big Smile' . Combine accents of contrasting white tulips such as the reliable ‘Maureen’. When planting, choose varieties that bloom early, mid- and late-season to extend your tulip bloom season.

Want to go against the grain and start your own trend? Combine unexpected bloom colors such as bright pink ‘Renown’ with yellow ‘Big Smile’, or purple ‘Passionale’ with orange ‘Orange Emperor’. To “cool” down your spring palette, mix in pastels such as pale yellow, pink or white.

Short on space? Tulips perform well in containers. Bring in the neutrals from the spring 2015 palette by planting bright blooms into warm beige or gray planters. Or, plant an all white display in a bright aqua or orange planter. When it comes to color, the sky is the limit.

Complement your chosen color palette of tulips with cool season annuals like pansies and violas, which are available in shades of sky blue; perfect for mixing bright orange or yellow. Iceland poppies, cherianthus, snapdragons and dianthus are also great cool season choices. Once your tulips begin to bloom in spring, your entire garden will be awash with color!

Now is the time to plan! Get on our fall/winter planting schedule by calling us today.