Impulse Buy

Last night I got an email from Brecks. It’s a flower bulb company I’ve ordered from more than once. They were selling perennial tulips. Perennial! I had tried growing some darwin hybrid tulips before because they were supposed to come back. I think I planted about 300 bulbs. The second spring I got only about four flowers. So I’m gonna roll the dice again.

These are supposed to be big tulips. There are five varieties. The special offer is ten bulbs of each variety, plus one bulb of a gigantic, three foot tulip. (I’m very curious about that one). I don’t really know where I’ll plant them, but I have to try these. One of the nurseries I order from quotes it’s owner in all their emails. He says, “I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself…at least three times.” Well, I’m going to try at least that many times to get perennial tulips growing in my garden. Here’s try number two!

From their website:

The tulips in the Deluxe Perennial Tulip Collection are unique in two ways:

>>> First of all, these are Perennial Tulips. Unlike most tulips, which grow and bloom with vigour for only a few years, Holland’s Deluxe Perennial Tulips have many of the characteristics of fine daffodils. They will bloom in your garden with increased vigour and beauty year after year.

>>> But that’s not all! There are a limited number of Deluxe Perennial Tulip bulbs which are unusually large – 14 cm. or larger. These big, plump, healthy bulbs produce vastly superior blooms. Fewer than one in a thousand Perennial Tulips grow to this huge size…and it’s these rare giants which we have set aside for our Deluxe Perennial Tulip Collection.