Tulip Bed Ideas

Formal Tulip Bed

• Plant large masses of the same tulip in a geometric pattern to create a formal appearance. For example, two 2-foot wide rows of tall red tulips lining a 50-foot driveway creates a striking formal design. A circle of a single tulip color around a tree can be a dramatic showstopper. A knot garden with quadrants of tulip masses in each quadrant is an English classic. Two complementary colors in opposing quadrants adds variety. Combining several formal beds in one landscape can really enhance the dramatic display. For a formal bed, plant the bulbs 6 to 12 inches apart in staggered rows. Formal beds often contain traditional colors of red, yellow or white, but personal preference prevails.

Informal Tulip Bed

• For a casual, less-contrived look, combine different heights, colors and types of tulips. An informal tulip bed contains several clusters or drifts of several types of tulips, possibly with other bulbs. Careful planning leads to blooms from very early spring to late spring. Add early-blooming grape hyacinth bulbs and late-blooming Alliums bulbs to round out the color succession. Plant tall bulbs in the rear and short ones in the front. If the bed is an island, place the tulips in the middle. Arrange bulbs in groups of at least five of the same bulb. Plant each bulb 3 to 4 inches apart, keeping the cluster shape irregular. Arrange clusters throughout the bed randomly and repeat the same cluster in a few locations. To avoid color overload, keep the palette to no more than three or four colors in bloom at the same time.

Naturalized Tulips

• Species tulips -- Fosterana, Greigii and Kafmanniana -- that are short and delicate fit beautifully in a naturalized tulip display. This is the most casual look and works well at the edge of a wooded area. These tulips are intended to look like Mother Nature planted them. They do not need any maintenance and will spread over time if the culture is compatible. Achieve a natural look by throwing a bucketful of bulbs in an area and planting them where they fall. Plant a few in an elongated area from where they fell to give the appearance that they have spread on their own.

Mixed Border

• If you can only plant within an existing perennial border or garden, you may not have space for a large planting of tulips, but you can probably find a few spots to introduce accent clumps of tulips. Each clump should have five to 10 bulbs. Shorter early tulips, such as triumph types, combine well with emerging perennial foliage and spring blooming perennials such as anemones, Bergenia, bleeding heart, candytuft or Brunnera. Tulips also provide color at the feet of spring-blooming shrubs such as azalea or forsythia.