Tulips have won the hearts of many gardeners for their innocent beauty and variety of colors. Breeders from all over the world have been and are engaged in the cultivation of such flowers. Terry tulips were also bred, which look a bit like peonies.
History of origin
Beautiful flowers, which many associate with the beginning of spring and warmth, were known in ancient Greece, and then they were transported to Persia. They got their name thanks to the Persian turban. The inhabitants of the country decorated their headdress with fresh flowers. Tulips did not go unnoticed by Europeans. They were originally brought to Europe from Turkey.
Most of the varieties and varieties were obtained in the Netherlands. It was in Holland that the terry tulip was first bred. However, the breeders did not set such a goal. Part of the perianth developed into additional petals as a result of accidental cross-pollination. That is, for the first time a terry tulip was born by the will of the game of nature.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Dutch breeders began to select the best specimens and in this way bred the first variety, Duke van Toll, which became the progenitor of the early double tulips. After 1650, later varieties of double tulips appeared. The most famous variety at that time was "Murillo". It is still actively used in floriculture.
Tulips were brought to Russia in the 17th century by decree of Peter I and began to decorate the gardens of St. Petersburg and other cities. At present, breeders have bred more than 1,500 varieties of double tulips. They delight ordinary lovers of beauty, as well as decorate famous gardens and parks in most countries of the world.
Features:
Terry tulips are often called peony tulips. This is not surprising, since their flowers really resemble peonies: the same voluminous and multi-petaled, sometimes drooping to the ground due to their weight. Plants do not like wind and dampness. For good development and flowering, it is better to select elevated places that are closed from drafts.
Terry tulips make up about 8% of the total number of all species. Their peculiarity is a small height, amounting to 20-30 cm in the early varieties and 50-60 cm in the later ones. This fact is used as a great excuse to use them as a curb or the front of a mixborder.
Their flowering is relatively long: it lasts up to 2 weeks. The flowers are large, have a large number of petals, and reach 10 cm in diameter.
After the flowering period, dense greenery remains, so it is better to combine quickly fading tulips with annuals. They will bloom almost all season and look beautiful against the background of tulip leaves.
Varieties
A huge number of varieties of double tulips are usually classified into early and late varieties. The former impress with their early flowering, but they are not tall and have rather small flowers. The color palette is diverse: there are red, white, yellow, and multi-colored specimens.
Late double tulips bloom a couple of weeks later, but they are much larger than their counterparts. They are often used for forcing and cutting, they receive excellent bouquets and delight their loved ones. Consider the main varieties and names of different types of terry tulips.
Early
Low-growing, but in their own way beautiful early varieties of double tulips cannot be ignored. They are gentle and beautiful with their virgin beauty. Among them, a fairly large number of popular types can be distinguished.
- Abba . A Dutch cultivar with scarlet, multi-petal flowers up to 10 cm in diameter. The outer petals are covered with green stripes. Blooms in April.
- Belicia . The flowering period is at the end of April. Up to 5 peduncles can grow from one bulb. The buds are quite high: up to 10 cm. The flowers are creamy, the petals are edged with a border.
- Monte Carlo. They are not only grown in the garden, they are also used as a pot culture. The stem grows up to 40 cm. The flowers are large, bright yellow, densely double.
- Peach Blossom. A very popular variety. Giant pink petals of huge flowers (up to 12 cm in diameter) are pointed. From a distance, these tulips really resemble peonies.
- Monte Orang. Plant up to 30 cm in height. It has bright orange buds with green veins. Blooms in early April.
- Freeman . Stunning bright yellow-orange flowers framed with green leaves. A very dense flower bowl is simply stuffed with petals.
- Queen of Marve. One of the few early tulip varieties that are suitable for cutting. They have beautiful pink-purple flowers and grow up to 0.5 meters in height.
- Verona . The lemon shade of the flowers looks fresh and sunny. It is grown not only in flower beds, but also in pots. And it is also a rather tall variety: it grows up to 45 cm.
- Cartouche . White petals with crimson stripes attract attention. Plants grow up to 40 cm in height and bloom in April. Used to decorate the foreground of flower beds and drive out for cutting.
- Double Toronto .A hybrid of a double tulip and Greig varieties. The plant is multi-flowered, as it is a bush. Bright orange flowers will be a real decoration of the garden.
Late
Late tulips begin to bloom a couple of weeks after the early ones. They are distinguished by a long flowering period, in some plants it lasts until June. They are used both in cutting and in flower beds. Late tulips are characterized by high growth and large flowers: up to 10 cm. There are many popular varieties.
- La Belle Epoque. An exquisite plant of a pale pink powdery shade that grows up to 55 cm in height. The flowers are very large, do not fade for a long time.
- Mount Tacoma . Snow-white exquisite flowers will decorate any garden. Flowering lasts up to 3 weeks, which will delight gardeners.
- Blue Diamond. The purple-violet flowers of this plant are simply amazing. veins visually resemble corrugation. The petals are wide and doubled, there are a lot of them in the flower.
- Miranda .This tulip boasts shiny red flowers. "Miranda" in one flower has about 50 petals, which makes the variety very interesting in terms of decorativeness.
- Lilac perfection. Variety with lilac flowers that can be enjoyed for 2-3 weeks. The core is yellow and visible when the bud is fully opened. Attractive in this variety and a wonderful sweet smell.
- Charming Beauty. These late double tulips are also multi-flowered. They are distinguished by salmon coloration and yellow heart. Each petal has a pink stroke.
- Fruit Cocktail. A very interesting specimen for gardeners. The buds are green at first, then open, and yellow petals with a red stripe become visible. Unusually, the petals are very narrow for tulips.
- Princess Angelique. Tulips are not too tall, but they have an interesting flower. When opened, it can be seen that the middle is white, while the petals are pale pink with a white stripe.
- Sensual Touch. These double tulips have a fringed edge. They are tall with a huge red-orange flower reaching 10 cm in diameter. Often used in both landscape design and not cut.
- Royal Acres. Plants are very resistant to external unfavorable environmental factors. Reaches 35 cm in height. They are distinguished by densely double flowers, mainly in pink-lilac shades.
Landing
It is carried out at a temperature from +6 to + 10 ° С, since it is this temperature range that allows the bulbs to take root. The optimal time for planting is autumn (September-October, depending on the climatic zone). Early double tulips are planted 2 weeks earlier than later ones. Every year it is advisable to select a new place for growing terry tulips in the garden. If this is not possible, then the transplant should be carried out at least once every 3 years, and for the winter the bulbs should be insulated with spruce paws.
Before planting, it is necessary to make a sample of planting material and dispose of rotten and dried specimens, and soak the rest for half an hour in a weak manganese solution.
Planting depth is the height of the bulb, multiplied by 3, and the distance between the specimens is at least 10 cm.A handful of river sand must be placed on the bottom of the dug holes, and then put the bulb, which cannot be pressed into the ground with effort. For winter, you need to put a layer of mulch on top.
The soil
When planting, it is not recommended to use manure, which has a rather rough effect on delicate plants. It is better to introduce compost and suitable fertilizers that dissolve quickly in water and do not have chlorine in the composition. Clay soil is a real enemy for tulips. If there are clay soils on the site, then they must be improved with the help of:
- humus;
- ash;
- peat;
- sand.
Also, acidic soils are not suitable for plants.
Care
The bulbs must be dug up every year so that they do not rot and shrink. To store them, it is best to prepare a container with wet sand and a dry, cool, dark place. The garden bed where tulips grow should be periodically loosened and weeded. The ground near the flowers should always be moist in order to saturate the fleshy stems and leaves with moisture. Sprouted plants need to be fertilized with nitrogen, then it is the turn of phosphorus-potassium dressings, and then mineral dressings.
Any hint of disease is a signal to remove the affected plant.
For safety reasons, you can treat terry tulips with fungicides from time to time. When cutting plants, leave a few leaves in order to form a good bulb. Fading petals should be torn off so as not to weaken the bulb.
Optimal conditions
Double tulips cannot stand moisture stagnation. Therefore, the best place for their growth will be a hill. They are demanding on lighting: an open area with maximum insolation is optimal. However, they do not like the wind, as the stems are tender and easily break under the weight of the flower.
If it is a rainy spring, then it is better not to water the plants at all.
Combination in the landscape
Since tulips do not bloom too long, planting them in tandem with plants blooming all season is a good solution. Early terry varieties are perfect for the front front of flower beds, borders. And late tulips can make up an excellent independent group or be in alliance with perennials and annuals.
Growing tulips is described in the following video.