Tulip Bulbs - Collections

Tulip Bulbs from Boston Seeds

At Boston Seeds, we have a wide selection of tulips, including dwarf and lily tulips. As their name suggests, Dwarf tulips are bred for their short stems, usually growing no higher than 25cm, but bloom no less vibrant than any other tulip. Meanwhile, Lily-Flowering tulips are the plant with the greatest visual difference from other tulips- again, their name best describes their elegant shape.

Both Dwarf tulips and Lily tulips make excellent cut flowers. Tulips make for excellent cut flowers in general, as they’re hardy enough to continue growing in a vase for a little while, even after they’re cut!

Darwin tulips are perhaps best noted for their large flower size and vibrant colouration. When crossbred with Single Early cultivars, you get Triumph Tulips: as their name suggests, they’re one of the best tulip varieties in terms of having a perfect balance of beauty and practicality, with an enormous range of colourations, many of which boast a neat and sophisticated air that make a bold statement in the garden!

Our Tulip Recommendations 

Dwarf tulips

Dwarf tulips’ short height makes them an ideal pick for patio pots and similar containers. Alternatively, they’re a good height to place at the front of a border, scatter through a rockery, or outline a shrub!

• ‘Red Riding Hood’ is a fan favourite: with simple-yet-gorgeous, variegated crimson petals and burgundy-striped foliage, the perfect addition to your spring garden.

• ‘Little Beauty’ is unusual in its shape, being more of a wide-open flower than a traditional cup-shaped tulip. Its outer petals are a lovely magenta-rose colour, with a beautiful blue centre.

Lily flowering tulips 

Lily-flowering tulips are somewhat later bloomers and have taller, slender stems (around 50cm-70cm tall), and their gorgeous shape and a wide variety of colours make them popular as cut flowers or as part of a bouquet. Alternatively, place them as the centrepiece of a tall container.

• The stunning ‘Marilyn’ bears white and red petals that almost look like they have been painted.
• And for an effective single colour, ‘Merlot’ produces waxy, wine-red goblets which make a strong statement on their own, or alongside another coloured tulip.

Darwin tulips 

Darwin hybrid tulips are especially large-flowering and tall, sturdy and long-lasting.

• ‘Daydream’ is a sunshine-y variation, with its younger petals blooming in a lemon yellow, but ageing beautifully into a warm, glowing orange!

• ‘Pink Impression’ bares blushing pink petals with a soft feathering of different shades. Its foliage has its own appeal too, with variegated leaves lined with gold.

• ‘Apeldoorn Elite’ burns bright with gold flowers streaked with ruby red.

• ‘Beauty of Apeldoorn’ has a striking scarlet-orange colouration, but is just as noteworthy due to its taller-than-average size and bold, lance-shaped foliage.

Triumph tulips 

There are enough gorgeous cultivars of Triumph tulips to fill a garden all of their own! However, if you had to hear some potential picks for your garden, we’d recommend:

• ‘Jan Reus’, a great deep crimson bloom, that sits proudly on darkly stained stems. A dramatic and deep tulip for creating drama and depth
• ‘Cairo’ tulips are a burnt orange in colour, but their waxy sheen provides an unusual accent; in some lights, this flower can appear to have an almost metallic, brassy appearance

Tulip Bulbs FAQs

What is the best month to plant tulip bulbs?

Tulip bulbs need to be planted in autumn when the bulb is dormant and when the temperature starts to cool but isn’t yet freezing. Usually this will be around September - December, depending on the region you live in. After they are planted, they will bloom the following spring.

Will tulips grow back every year?

Tulips are technically perennials which means that they can return every year - however, due to the way some tulips have been bred (to be the most colourful and beautiful) some varieties will only flower for one year. We recommend planting new bulbs each year to ensure the best tulip display.

Can tulips be left in the ground all year?

Tulip bulbs can be left in the ground all year, ready to flower again the next spring. However, to help give your tulips the best chance of looking great the following year, we recommend deadheading your tulips after they have flowered to help them save as much energy as possible. Don’t cut back the foliage until it has turned yellow. If your garden gets a lot of rain, this can cause the bulbs to rot so we would recommend lifting the bulbs up, letting them dry out and storing them in a paper bag ready to be planted again in autumn. 

How best to grow tulips?

The best choice for tulips in most situations is to plant them (at least 10 cm deep) in rows or clusters of 10-15, in a sunny spot with humus-rich, free-draining soil. Best planted in the late autumn months. Lily-flowering tulips, though tall, are not highly wind-resistance, so it’s important to plant them in a place protected by the wind.