Out with the Tomatoes, In with the Tulips
Wouldn’t it be fun to plant a LOT of tulips this fall? Maybe 200. Or why not 500? Enough to have your own spring cutting garden with a full range of flower styles and bloom times. To finally experience some of the varieties you have only seen in photographs. To inject a big shot of color into your yard when little else is in bloom.
If you think that’s a pipe dream, I can guess why. Maybe you don’t have enough space or enough time to plant the bulbs. Or the soil in your flower garden doesn’t suit tulips. Or maybe you struggle with deer and other critters.
For some gardeners, growing tulips can definitely be challenging. But if you have a vegetable garden, here’s a suggestion that could make your tulip growing dreams come true.
Space to Let
Even if you grow kale and other fall crops, it’s likely that at least a few rows of your vegetable garden are empty from November to May. Why not fill some of those beds with tulips? Once you have pulled out the tomatoes and peppers, just fork over the bed, rake it smooth and plant tulip bulbs. You can easily fit 100 tulips in a 2’ x 7’ bed.
In the spring, your tulip feast will have come and gone before it’s time to plant heat-loving vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers and squash. When the last blossoms have faded, just lift out the tulips, bulbs and all, and plant your vegetables as usual.
Planting is Fast
If your flower beds are anything like mine, they are packed with perennials and it’s not easy to find empty spaces to plant tulips. In comparison, planting in the vegetable garden is a breeze. Lay a tarp in the path, dig out the soil, place the bulbs and cover them up it. Planting 100 bulbs in the bed shown above took about 20 minutes.
Better Soil
Tulip bulbs do not like soggy soil. In Holland, they are grown on pure sand. If you have had a vegetable garden for a while, it is probably some of the best soil in your yard. You’ll be amazed what a difference it makes when you get top quality tulip bulbs and plant them in well-drained soil.
Varmint Control
If you grow vegetables, and have problems with deer, rabbits or woodchucks, you may already have a fence. If you don’t have one, you probably should, and maybe tulips will be the nudge you need. No one thinks twice about protecting peas and beans. For me, tulips are soul food and just as important.
This year, we are offering 125 varieties of tulips — not counting pairs, mixes and collections. With so many choices, there are surely dozens of varieties you’d love to be planting. Here’s what’s going into my vegetable garden next week (you’ll see I am still in my orange phase…). How about you?
- Orange Emperor
- Monte Orange
- Orange Queen
- Salmon Dynasty
- Jimmy
- Princess Irene
- Orange Princess
- Orange Angelique
- Rembrandt Mix
You can shop our complete selection of tulips HERE.
Beautiful
I did this this past year. The results were gorgeous!!
Hi – Good to know! Glad it worked well. So easy to do and creates a big impact, too!
Hi Kath, I’d like to try planting tulips in my raised flower and vegetable beds this fall and donate them to my local hospital in the spring in memory of a dear friend who recently passed away. I’ve always grown tulips in the landscape, not in raised beds, so I have a few questions. First, I’m in zone 5B (coastal Maine) and wonder when the best time to plant the tulips in raised beds would be and if that differs from when I’d usually plant them in the landscape. Second, I usually cover my raised beds with a few inches of straw in the fall after I remove whatever plants have been in them all summer. Should I still go ahead and do this after I’ve planted the tulips and just remove the straw in the spring? The beds often get heaped with snow from the plow as they border my driveway. Last, I was thinking of putting down a layer of chicken wire on top of the soil after planting the tulips (before I cover the beds with straw) to protect the bulbs from pesky squirrels. Would you recommend this? Any guidance is so very welcome! Thank you 🙂
Tulips grow very well in raised beds. Definitely cover the soil after planting with chicken wire or hardware cloth to protect the bulbs from rodents. As long as you do that, adding a layer of straw is a good idea. But know that straw makes an attractive winter home for rodents, so if those bulbs are not protected they may be gone in the spring. Planting tulips on the late side is usually good. But get them into the ground at least 3-4 weeks before the ground freezes so the bulbs have time to develop roots.
Thank you, Kath! Will do. Do you usually cover your tulip beds with straw (or something else) after laying down the chicken wire or hardware cloth. I am open to suggestions if you prefer using something other straw. Best, Molly
I do not cover the hardware cloth. Even here in zone 4 the cold is not a problem. We usually have pretty reliable snow cover. The voles are so destructive that I don’t want to give them any encouragement.
Ah, got it–that makes sense! Thanks, Kath. I always appreciate your advice. I won’t use the straw on the tulip bed 🙂