Well to answer my own question, a few days ago the first few petals began falling off before the flowers had opened (they still haven't!) and then there was the big storm that blew a lot more off and blew over some tulips.
I have some separate tulips in pots that are still only growing and luckily the storm only snapped two of them.
One question I do have, though, is why the colour of the tulips in the pots has changed over time. I planted 'Helmar' tulips and in the first year they flowered in a beautiful yellow and red, just like the packaging depicted. But the next year the heads were mostly red with a splash of yellow. Last year they were completely red and the early flowers that are now forming in those pots appear completely red again, without so much as a hint of yellow.
Is this a problem with multi-coloured flowers or a feeding issue?
The ones I planted in the ground (as seen in the photo further up) were supposed to be just red and have stayed like that. But I paid extra for 'Helmar' and now they look just like the cheaper red ones.
My tulips changed colour also Tomsk. In 2014 they were mostly cream with a few lines of red like a cheap raspberry ripple ice cream. Last year they were almost completely red, I'd planted them in front of red bricks and they clashed horribly. I'm hoping for a nice sky blue this year
I think I've read there is an environmental reason for this, but I've forgotten what and also might be mistaken
I have peach coloured tulips out but not open, I'm happy cos they will last longer, some have not even got past the greeb bud stage.. Be patient and then this will be its own reward.I am 30 miles east of London and its not exactly been a summery few days ..
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Well to answer my own question, a few days ago the first few petals began falling off before the flowers had opened (they still haven't!) and then there was the big storm that blew a lot more off and blew over some tulips.
I have some separate tulips in pots that are still only growing and luckily the storm only snapped two of them.
One question I do have, though, is why the colour of the tulips in the pots has changed over time. I planted 'Helmar' tulips and in the first year they flowered in a beautiful yellow and red, just like the packaging depicted. But the next year the heads were mostly red with a splash of yellow. Last year they were completely red and the early flowers that are now forming in those pots appear completely red again, without so much as a hint of yellow.
Is this a problem with multi-coloured flowers or a feeding issue?
The ones I planted in the ground (as seen in the photo further up) were supposed to be just red and have stayed like that. But I paid extra for 'Helmar' and now they look just like the cheaper red ones.
My tulips changed colour also Tomsk. In 2014 they were mostly cream with a few lines of red like a cheap raspberry ripple ice cream. Last year they were almost completely red, I'd planted them in front of red bricks and they clashed horribly. I'm hoping for a nice sky blue this year
I think I've read there is an environmental reason for this, but I've forgotten what and also might be mistaken
I have peach coloured tulips out but not open, I'm happy cos they will last longer, some have not even got past the greeb bud stage.. Be patient and then this will be its own reward.I am 30 miles east of London and its not exactly been a summery few days ..