Out of all the tulips I planted in our garden last spring, a few varieties of the purple tulips became quick favorites- they were stunning. There’s a fine line between purple and pink in the tulip world- some are purple “with a pink sheen”, some lean lilac but ”soften to light pink”. But for the sake of this blog post, we’ll stick to the most beautiful purple tulips and you can judge for yourself whether you categorize them as purple or pink! Regardless, these following tulips are GORGEOUS.
Blue Diamond Tulip
Please tell me these aren’t one of the prettiest purple tulips you’ve ever seen. I first heard of Blue Diamond Tulips via Danish gardener, Claus Dalby. First of all, Claus Dalby is like the sweet Danish Uncle I wish I had, and his gardening style is impeccable. Just watch one of his YouTube videos and I promise once you hear his sweet Danish accent saying, ”Allo, allo, and velcome to my gaaarden” you’ll be suckered in too.
Anyhow, back to this beautiful purple tulip. Blue Diamond is a double tulip with gorgeous purple-violet flowers that feature a subtle streak on the inner petals. Blue Diamond tulips bloom late in the season, around May, reaching 12-16 inches tall.
Because of Blue Diamond tulip’s bold purple-violet color, I found it pairs well with whites or creams. I had mine growing in containers alongside some Maché White ranunculus I had picked up from my local garden center- a lovely combination!
You can buy Blue Diamond Tulips HERE
Margarita Tulip
This tulip. Seriously. One of the prettiest tulips I’ve ever seen. Online descriptions categorize Margarita tulips as “vibrant magenta-purple with a magenta-pink sheen” or “magenta tones with rosy highlights”. Just to confuse our “purple tulip” categorization! I honestly feel like I need to go with my 7 year old daughter’s description of Margarita Tulips being “shocking pink”.
Regardless of being purple vs pink tulips, these Margarita tulips are a dramatic, double, peony-like early bloomer that reach about 16 inches tall on very strong stems. Again, because of Margarita tulip’s bold color, I found it also pairs well with whites or creams. I planted mine in containers (which I overwintered in our garage) alongside Erlicheer daffodils, and muscari (grape hyancinth). The combination was so pretty!
You can buy Margarita Tulips HERE
Candy Prince Tulip
If you’re looking for a soft lavender-colored classic tulip, Candy Prince tulip is your go-to. Candy Prince tulip is a beautiful single, early bloomer that grows to about 18 inches tall. Depending on the lighting, sometimes Candy Prince tulips lean more toward soft-lavender, and at other times, soft-pink.
Although I love the bold and dramatic shape of a double tulip such as Blue Diamond or Margarita tulips, there is something so “classic spring” about a pastel-colored, upright single tulip.
I planted mine in a boxwood parterre, and they looked so cute and so majestic at the same time. Our last spring was essentially an extended winter that wouldn’t quit, so to see these Candy Prince tulip beauties pop up from the freezing temps was such a warm welcome in our garden.
You can buy Candy Prince Tulips HERE
A Little Extra Info…
Fall-Planted Tulip Bulbs
Here in Zone 5B, on the North Shore of Chicago, tulips aren’t exactly the first thing on anyone’s mind when it’s JULY. Don’t tulips come up in March, or April, or May you may ask? Yes. But in cooler zones, tulip bulbs must be planted in the fall, undergo a “cold period” (winter), in order to bloom in the spring. Surprisingly, tulip bulb online orders start now, right in the middle of summer, and inching into fall. However, fall-planted bulbs sell out quickly, so if there’s a particular tulip you’d like to see popping up in your garden in the spring, you need to get on it. It’s also a good time to think of other fall-planted bulbs you may like, or lovely combinations like muscari and tulips together.
Planting Tulip Bulbs
Alright, so your box of tulip bulbs arrived- now what? Here are a few helpful tips for planting tulip bulbs:
- Plant 6 inches deep, 3-6 inches apart
- Plant in sun or partial shade
- Will tolerate most soils
- Do NOT overwater
- Mulch 1-2 inches for winter
- Use a bulb food like Bulb Tone when planting
- Fertilize once in spring (optional)
Planting tulip bulbs are really a set-it-and-forget-it process. As long as the squirrels don’t snatch your bulbs, you should end up with a gorgeous display of yellow tulips!
Additional Tips:
- We have some CrAzY squirrels on our property- so to prevent them from eating the bulbs I sprinkled red pepper flakes all over the soil right after I planted the bulbs. It worked!
- Don’t leave tulip bulb remnants out because squirrels are very smart and they’ll know what you’ve been up to.
- It is important to let the foliage mature and die down naturally (it will turn a yellowish-tannish color)- do not cut back right away because the plant is putting energy into next year’s bloom.
- You may have heard “don’t plant your tulips in a single row”, but honestly plant them how you wish. I decided to plant my yellow tulips in a densely packed row and they looked stunning. I will say, the more tulips you can plant, the better! Tulips en masse are a gorgeous site to see come spring.
Favorite Items for Planting Tulips
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
- Organic Bulb-Tone
Perfect for getting tulip bulbs off to a healthy start.
If you own a drill, this makes it much easier than digging by hand.
3. Bulb Planter Tool With 6 Inch Measurement
Takes the guesswork out of how deep to plant bulbs.
Perfect for digging a tulip trench or other large areas.
You don’t need expensive garden gloves for planting tulips, and these are non-slip, basic, and super cute.
To deter the squirrels!
I hope you enjoyed these beautiful purple tulips as much as I do! Let me know in the comments below: what is your favorite purple tulip? Happy planting!
Other Posts You’ll Love:
The Most Beautiful Yellow Tulips
Planting Bulbs In Pots (How I Grew Tulips In My Garage!)
9 Most Beautiful Tulips To Plant This Fall (For A Stunning Spring Garden)
12 Beautiful Purple Flowers For Your Summer Garden
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