Tulips that last
Tulips deliver instant spring wow factor, but if you leave them in the ground, many varieties fade over time. The good news? With a little care, you can encourage your favourites to return next year — or choose varieties that reliably come back on their own.
Whether you love refreshing your displays each season or want a more low-maintenance approach, here’s how to make the most of your tulips.
How to help tulips return next season
If you’ve created a display you love, it’s worth saving the bulbs.
Follow these simple steps:
- Remove spent flowers once they fade
- Leave foliage until it turns yellow (about 6 weeks after flowering)
- Lift the bulbs and brush off excess soil
- Discard any soft, damaged or diseased bulbs
- Let them dry under cover for a couple of weeks (a greenhouse or conservatory is ideal)
- Store in net bags over winter in a dry, well-ventilated space at around 20°C
- Replant in autumn and enjoy them again in spring.
Want tulips that come back every year?
For a more natural, low-effort look, try species tulips. These smaller, wild-looking varieties are excellent perennialisers, meaning they return year after year without lifting.
Great varieties to try:
Tulipa turkestanica
Early spring blooms with up to nine star-shaped flowers per stem.
Tulipa greigii ‘Red Riding Hood’
Compact (around 20 cm) with vivid scarlet flowers in April and attractively marked foliage.
Tulipa sprengeri
One of the last tulips to flower, producing bright scarlet blooms in late May.
Smarter planting, longer enjoyment
By combining classic tulips with reliable species varieties, you can enjoy fresh spring colour year after year — with as much effort (or as little) as you prefer.
Visit Elmwood Nursery & Garden Centre in Emersons Green for expert advice on keeping tulips thriving for seasons to come.
