The Most Beautiful Yellow Tulips: Avant Garde Tulips
There’s something so “classic spring” about yellow tulips. In my garden, I tend to lean toward the purples, whites, blues and pinks, but I make a big exception at springtime when that bare post-winter soil is begging to pop in color.
Something that says “fluffy bunnies are on their way, and Olaf is ready to hibernate”.
I’m still particular though. I love a pale yellow. And I love double tulips. And I’ve found the best-of-the-best of the most beautiful yellow tulips: Avant Garde Tulips. Let’s dive into the details!
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. Now back to my favorite yellow tulips!
Avant Garde Tulips
The Avant Garde tulip is my favorite of the yellow tulips- it is stunning! It is a beautiful, fluffy, double tulip variety that has the most perfect buttery, soft, pale-yellow color with hints of a lemon yellow. These yellow tulips “pop” but not in an overwhelming way. I love that the Avant Garde tulip closely resembles peonies- and who doesn’t LOVE peonies?! These Avant Garde tulips have strong stems that hold the flowers upright. In fact, last spring, we had a ton of rain and freezing wind come through and they still looked fantastic. Because of our unusually cold spring, these yellow tulips bloomed a bit later, perfectly timed on Mother’s Day, May 8th, but they are usually an early to mid-spring bloomer. Lastly, I love the height of these beauties measuring in at 20 inches! They also make a great cut flower. Take a look for yourself, and tell me these aren’t one of the most beautiful yellow tulips you’ve ever seen.
Muscari and Tulips
Another fall-planted bulb that also ”sings spring” is muscari, also known as grape hyacinth. Muscari and tulips are a great spring flower combination, especially when you can get 2 varieties that bloom at the same time! The Avant Garde tulips are the perfect pale yellow backdrop for the pop of cobalt blue muscari, which blooms at a low 7 inches tall. They are just the cutest little spring flowers with these bell-like features, that last for weeks. The two colors of these muscari and tulips are just so lovely for a spring display!
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!
Where To Buy Tulips And Muscari:
Avant Garde Tulips (Dutch Grown)
Muscari / Grape Hyacinth / Muscari Armeniacum (Dutch Grown)
I hope you enjoy these beautiful yellow tulips as much as I do! Let me know in the comments below: what is your favorite tulip color to see in the spring?? Happy planting!
Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
9 Most Beautiful Tulips To Plant This Fall (For A Stunning Spring Garden)
The Most Beautiful Purple Tulips
Planting Bulbs In Pots (How I Grew Tulips In My Garage!)
12 Beautiful Purple Flowers For Your Summer Garden
3 Beautiful White Garden Roses Every Gardener Will Love
