Gardening Guide: Late Blooming Tulips

Planting tulips is a common fall event, but there are a few gardening tips that you can use to improve the results of your spring garden. Late blooming tulips are the perfect flower choice to carry your early spring garden into early summer, when most annuals and perennials are just being introduced and not yet blooming. Several varieties exist that offer incredible color, texture and scent for you to choose from.

The following are several late blooming tulips that are easy for any skill of gardener to grow, and can be found in most nurseries.

Maureen Late Blooming Tulip
The Maureen, late blooming tulip, is a white cottage variety that is going to be one of the taller varieties of tulips in your garden. Most varieties of late bloomers are referred to as cottage tulips because they are used in many early cottage garden designs, chosen for their dainty bell floral shapes. The Maureen is very hardy, has a long showing and does well in several garden conditions. For the best showing plant in large masses, in rock gardens and behind floral borders.

Temple of Beauty
A different variety and type of tulip is the Temple of Beauty, which is a single late bloom that puts on a show for a little over a week. The two tone color of the bloom is attractive to many gardeners who prefer blended blooms, and those who are looking for something a little different in their gardens. Best used in zones three to eight, the flower is very hardy enough to survive in both Northern and Southern gardens. With the ability to grow in full sun to partial shade, gardeners can use the tulips in most areas of their garden.

Blue Diamond Double Late
Known as a double blossom late variety, the Blue Diamond actually is blue with a hint of red, sometimes turning a deep royal purple. Favored because of its double bloom, the tulip opens up in much the same way as a peony does, very wide and very fast after budding. A zone hardiness of 3 to 7 is best for these bulbs, but if you plant them deeper than the suggested five inches in the fall, they will bloom but be slightly shorter than intended.

Several other varieties of late blooming tulips are available for gardeners who like to experiment, but for those that are hesitant about the success of their garden, these three are very reliable. Look for what you like and then determine which of those will work best in the garden space and conditions that you can provide your plants with, for the best results next spring.