This weekend saw a return to the nursery at Great Dixter to buy plants for the newly rejuvenated garden. A wander around the gardens is compulsory for this Busman’s Holiday shopper.
It seems like every corner, every pot, every border has its Tulips. The massed ranks of reds, oranges, yellows and purples are out in all their brilliance and on a quiet but blustery rain threatening Saturday afternoon, the colour bursts upon you.
There are delicate touches and hues of soft pinks and apricots, but it is the carmine reds and contrasts of tangerine orange under planted with a sea of blue forget-me-nots that stays with you. Is it just me that when looking at these photos feels like I’ve partaken of hallucinogenics? The sheer scale and audacity of planting is what hits you.
Christopher Lloyd said on colour that “I have no segregated colour schemes. In fact, I take it as a challenge to combine every sort of colour effectively.”
I can’t help but think that Lloyd couldn’t have had the song Tiptoe Through The Tulips in mind when he planned and planted here, I’m wondering if he had FireStarter as earworm instead……
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They’re fantastic, aren’t they? It’s when they look naturalised like that, with grass and forget-me-nots and what-not growing with them as well that the huge abundance of the planting becomes so exciting – and, as you say, the colour. It’s the only time I miss the cold – when I’m walking through a springtime garden like this and can only look …. 🙂
I think the audacity, inspiration and ability to plant on such a scale and not be held back by conventions is what really makes my mind whirr. Trying to capture even the essence of it is a challenge, so it’s a pleasure to share them with you
Tulips were one of my father’s favourite flowers and he planted masses of them when we lived in the suburbs. Not quite as varied as the beautiful ones you’ve shown, but still, quite attractive in their beds. Thank you for sharing your expedition and pictures.
What lovely memories to have, so it’s a pleasure to have shared these tulips with you
LOL! Certainly a dazzling mix of colour – just what you need after a long winter.
Morning Cathy, the colour burst is certainly a refreshing sight after the greys of winter, but I’m noticing how everything is coming out at the same time, which is making for remarkable viewing in the garden!
Right, so how do we transplant this beauty into my garden – as is please. 😉 Not at all unreasonable hey.
🙂 Mandy xo
You could never bee accused of being unreasonable Mandy, it’s all just a matter of logistics………. 🙂
Exactly what I was thinking Claire – simply logistics. 😉 xo
The brown two-tones and apricots for my garden, please, dear genie!! Now where is that genie when you so need her 🙂 !
Those tulip shades were absolutely gorgeous 😀
I love your photos!
Cheers
CCU
we cant grow tulips here so i love to see them … thanks claire .. audacious and outrageous colour schemes!
Audacious is a perfect word – no timidity here!
That last photo is gorgeous, Claire.
Good morning Sharyn, the red is stunning, it certainly brightens the day up
Oh, beautiful! I’m not a fan of tulips in my own garden, but do admire them in others. Orange and deep blue are striking together…
Interesting Marie that you don’t like them in your own garden, I know a lot of people who don’t like the dead straggly leaves, I have a few in the garden at home and will probably add a few more simple for some early colour in pots
Tulips are such beautiful flowers! Lovely photos Claire!
Thank you Tessa
Ah, these colors are wonderful, aren’t they? What colors! What variety in shapes! I love tulips planted in masses like this. Do they did them up each year after they’ve bloomed, or does something else come in? I don’t like to dig mine up, but let them naturalize in my beds, so I’m always wondering what others do with that tall drying stalk. I try to have daylilies or something taller – that won’t detract from the tulips when they flower, but will later hide the dying stalks. Thanks, Claire!
Hi Cindy, yes they do dig them up after flowering and then store them in dark cool sheds, and when the leaves have died back they sort and organise them. A lot of work as you can imagine! I’m wondering what to do with mine in the garden, I think because time is short I will leave them to be straggly! I think next year I’d like more in pots on their own, so I could hide the pots when the colour show is over! And thanks for popping in Cindy, hope you have a bright and beautiful week
The tulips are wonderful…love the mix of color.
Thank you Karen, I always admire the planting at Great Dixter, always something to enjoy and think about.
Beautiful images. And tulips in hues I have never seen before. 😉
Thank you, the colours really do cover a wide spectrum, kind of mind boggling!
Stunning! STUNNING
And MORE STUNNING!
You are so lush and green…outstanding!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
HI Linda, and THANK YOU 🙂 It’s a pleasure to share bright beautiful photos with you. Hope you have a great week – that perfect mixture of sun, warmth and rain that we all dream of
Oh, they’re exquisite, Claire! I love those tangerine orange ones!!
Aren’t they great Celia!
Me too… love the tangerine ones with the forget-me-nots.
It’s a great combination isn’t it – they are at the opposite ends of the colour spectrum and always work well together, but a bravo to Great Dixter for planting them up 🙂
The orange tulips emerging from a blanket of Myosotis are a dream.
I think I’m going to steal that idea, a girl can dream can’t she 🙂
Oh I LOVE Great Dixter! The tulips are totally stupendous, and the meadows… lovely photos!
I missed the meadows this year, the early flowers were done and dusted. But the magnolias were out which more than made up for it 🙂
I’m loving the intensity of these tulip shots, especially the light-rimmed orange ones. Such a short season, but so splendid!
Thank you for the word ephemeral, it’s just perfect
Tulips are a longtime favorite of mine–bulb flowers in general, in fact. Maybe in part because I grew up in one of the prime bulb growing regions in the US and our town had its annual Daffodil Festival. 🙂 Great Dixter’s gardens look like sheer heaven to me!
I think the gardens at Gt Dixter are heavenly too – and the nursery……. oh so tempting
Absolutely gorgeous! The colors of those tulips are just extraordinary. I love the burnt orange color, in particular. Nature’s palette is unbelievably exquisite! Very special, Claire.
I think the human palette is also extraordinary too 🙂 Hope you are having a bright and breezy week my friend!
Beautiful photos, Clare. I have long wanted to see the bluebell carpets of the English woods but did not expect the sublime sight of them dotted with orange tulips.
The bluebells are out at the moment, I see the blue carpets as I whizz past on my train journey in to London. It’s a beautiful time of year
I love the orange tulips amongst the forget-me-nots – might have to pinch that idea for next year! Just noticed your new (?) banner too – great photo of the bumblebee.
I’ve just changed the banner….. ooops maybe I should go back to it 🙂
Love ’em. Our wedding flower!
Afternoon Jack, I think you two chose well !
Stunning and very rich …. colors are just fantastic! That last photo is so wonderful .. and the tulips with the “forget me not” in the background … what a wonderful sight. Thanks for sharing.
I think the orange and blue is a magical combination – opposite ends of the colour spectrum, s sure fire winner
Oh this was just the fix of pretty flower pictures that I needed! Thank you for sharing them. I’m still learning about which colors to mix together in the garden. I tend to make clumps of colors! I need to work on that… 🙂
Oh I know what you mean, I think it takes years and years to develop as a gardener, and then in takes a bit of boldness on your own part and then, well probably patience! I do love going to other gardens, I always learn so much from them. Happy gardening 🙂
What a great post and salute to Spring! Your photos are well-shot, Claire, and I can only imagine how beautiful the gardens must be. It must have been a real pleasure to stroll through them.
I like the idea of a salute to Spring John, thank you. And yes, as ever it was a delight to take a stroll around
Beautiful! We need to get some of those!
Aren’t they just beautiful, and a definite yes to tulips on the shopping list
Absolutely stunning!! It’s hard to pick a favourite, they’re all equally beautiful
I know what you mean about trying to pick a favourite – I think the strong colours would be at the top of my list
I love the tulip photos! I have hundreds of daffodils but a grand total of 3 tulips (one of which was eaten by a rabbit as soon as it bloomed). More tulips–resolution for fall!
Every petal, perfection!
As we still lag behind here, my tulips are barely out of the ground!
Had to turn heat back on in the greenhouse last night!
Gosh you are a lot later than I realised. My last tulips in the garden are out, and suddenly there’s a gap in the colour, hurry up summer warmth I say!
ciao! what joy to behold these beautiful images.
thebestdressup
Ciao to you too ! And thank you for commenting!
Claire… talking about hallucinogens and naming the Prodigy… You really made me laugh! Pictures are awesome, I love the tangerine orange tulips above a drift of FMNs, although I’m normally not very fond of forget-me-nots. Beautiful post.
Firestarter! Wow, that took me back Claire. Looking forward to playing it for my boys in the morning. Nothing like a burst of Prodigy at breakfast. Absolutely gorgeous photos. I was born in Holland so they tugged at my heart-strings. As a teenager I liked to taunt my dad by threatening to get a large tulip tattoo (alas I never did – maybe I will when I’m a granny). Great post!
Ha ha a burst of prodigy at breakfast, what a way to start the day!
Such gorgeous flowers. I’m enjoying your photography, and your use of color. A very nice post.
Thank you for your kind compliments, I find when I visit these gardens there is always something that catches my eye
Oh the orange and the blue Vibrates with energy, startling!! Now i desperately want to do that in my garden.. but they don’t flower at the same time here.. poo. have a lovely day claire! c
Poo indeed. I have just planted some orange grass (doesn’t die back) and plan to nick the idea and plant the forget-me-nots under them. We’ll see if it works…….
Love those tulips and the combinations. Lovely images too. I thought your title was a really good one!
Thank you, I think my favourite combination was the orange and blue
What beautiful colors! I particularly like the apricot tulips and the blue forget-me-nots.The pictures are lovely.
Me too! And thank you
These tulips are beautiful and are every bit as lovely as all the millions of tulips I viewed for the past two weeks in The Netherlands! Great photos Claire.
Hi Teresa, and thank you. How lovely to have been to the Netherlands, a favourite of mine, although I’ve never seen the tulip fields I can imagine how wondrous a sight they are
These are absolutely gorgeous. My favorite flower is tulips and so happy to see them. 🙂 My favorite gotta be the purple ones. Wish you a wonderful weekend and thanks for sharing.
Thank you Amy 🙂
They really are stunning. If you get a chance, wander along Bexhill seafront and the Manor Barn Gardens in the Old Town. In Manor Barn they have some amazing tulips which look like peonies!
We were there today, but they have pulled most of them up and replaced them with summer bedding, The peony tulips sound a treat too !
Can’t decide which of these shots I love the most…one of my very favorite blooms and you’ve captured them all so beautifully Claire!
I’m delayed on everything these days…but I’m actually liking this brief return to Spring now that Summer is here. Backwards I think is my direction of choice right now. xox
Gorgeous to here from you Spree, and thank you for your kind words. Now I can imagine you and I sitting at the table maybe a glass in hand, chatting away trying to work out where the plants should go 🙂