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Tuesday, April 5, 2016

When to cut tulips from the garden

There's a just-right point to cut tulips in the garden, in order to get maximum enjoyment indoors. I find that if I wait too long, my tulips will be spent within a couple of days of bringing indoors.


These tulips, right here, are right where I like to cut them. The buds are tightly closed, having never opened. If I cut them at this point, bring them in and pop into a vase of water, overnight, they become "perfect" barely-bloomed tulips, like the below photo.


With recutting the stems and changing the water, every day to every other day, they will be beautiful for an entire week. And yes, with tulips, I do cut the leaves with the stems, and submerge in the water, leaves and stems, all. It gives the bunch a fuller look, I think. And as tulips will only last, once cut, for about a week, anyway, I don't feel I'm shortening their "life" in the water any.

With each water change, I also give the tulips a pinch of floral preservative. If you don't have any floral preservative, there's a recipe for homemade preservative/food in this post.

Happy April, everyone! I hope you have tulips in your area now, or very soon!

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful!

    We are back down to 50 degree temps today. Our poor areas flora and fauna will be so confused. I am thinking I may have to bring my poor mint inside and the kitty, who was shedding her winter coat, is now curled up on a fuzzy blanket.

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    Replies
    1. April can have some crazy weather, can't it? We had hail, briefly, yesterday afternoon. But last week was gorgeous and in the mid-high 60s every day. We're expecting highs in the 50s for the next couple of days. I moved our mint pot back out to the garden (it's been on the deck). I think it will do okay. Do you think your mint might not do well at 50 degrees?

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  2. Thanks for the tips! An aunt always told me to put an aspirin in the water for cut flowers. I'll have to look that one up.

    My tulips are up, but haven't bloomed yet. I have daffodils and grape hyacinths that have bloomed, though. I've been enjoying those for now.

    We are having Winter weather again here. There were a few nice days with highs in the 60's last week. Then it cooled off for the weekend, and has continued into this week. It's supposed to be only 43 today, with a low in the lower 20's. Friday we are supposed to get an inch or two of snow. Then it looks like we might get back to Spring. I can't wait! My pear and peach trees had bloomed last week. I'm worried about them with the frosts we've been having.

    Have a lovely day!

    Angie

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    Replies
    1. Hi Angie,
      I read there was snow in Ontario and the upper mid-west US earlier this week. I hope your fruit trees still do okay. There were lots of bumble bees out last week when our cherry and pear tree were beginning to bloom. But it has turned cool, here, too, and the apple trees are just now beginning bloom. So I don't know what that will mean for apples this year. We had a late frost and cold spell last year and didn't get many apples at all.

      A low in the 20s does sound quite cold. Stay warm! Sounds like a good day for tea or cocoa!

      Have a wonderful day, Angie!

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    2. I am feeling Angie's pain right now. We had a mild March but April is supposed to be colder than normal. We got back from visiting my in-laws in Illinois yesterday--it was 77 degrees there Sunday, with sunshine. Returning to 20-something with snow was disheartening, to say the least. At least the sun is out today.

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    3. Hi Kris,
      Hopefully, April will pass quickly and you can move into warmer weather. 20-something just sounds so hard to take, when you're anxious for spring to come.

      I hope you had a great visit with your in-laws!

      Delete
  3. The tulips are lovely! We are well past tulip blooming now, but other things are in full blossom. I figure we have about another week of spring blooms and then we will be in full summer foliage.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anne,
      It's amazing how different all of our climates can be. there's a large regional tulip festival going on right now in the Skagit Valley, north of my area. Tulips are just now peaking, and this is considered early for our area.

      Summer flowers in April! Wow! That must be beautiful! (and it must be warm!)

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  4. I really like tulips, but the deer have slowly eaten enough of them, that they no longer come up in our yard. Maybe I'll watch for some on sale to plant again. In the meantime, I am enjoying your pictures.

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    Replies
    1. Hi live and learn,
      And some tulips just die out over time, too. If you want to try new bulbs, Darwin Hybrids are supposed to be among some of the longer living bulbs. But I understand what you're saying about the deer. I love crocuses, but so do the squirrels. And the squirrels can wait until I'm not around to dig up and chew on my bulbs. So I don't plant as many crocus as I used to.

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    2. Oh, I meant to ask if there was a longer-surviving variety--good to know!

      Delete
  5. Hi Ladies,
    I just got the pathology report. All the nodules and thyroid
    gland are Benign. I am sooo! relieved:) Thank You for all
    the prayer and encouragement.
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Praise God! Patti, I am so relieved for you! Thank you for sharing this with us. I feel privileged to pray for you.

      Now go and enjoy your evening!!

      Delete
    2. Happy to hear the good news, Patti. Hopefully, now you get a chance to think about something else.

      Delete
    3. Thank you Lili you are so kind.
      Thank You live and learn you are right it is so consuming.
      Blessings,
      Patti

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Hi Dee,
      I love tulips! They say spring to me!

      Delete
  7. Beautiful tulips, looks more beautiful indoors than outside :)

    Since reading your blog, I am beginning to care about decorating a bit. Bought a pair of matching custom framed art prints to hang on our entry wall, a bargain at Goodwill for $14/pr.

    So happy for the good news, Patti :)

    YHF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you YHF. I feel so blessed.
      Patti

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    2. Hi YHF,
      I love a good bargain find like those prints you bought! I need to check Goodwill again, soon! I find so many great items there!

      Delete
  8. Those tulips are so pretty! Love the barely open stage myself. Mine are done blooming, aside from a few that bloom later. The lilies have started to emerge over the past couple of weeks, so we have that to look forward to, and iris are in full bloom here. But they have spread so much that I'm not appreciating them as much as I used to, so am thinking of digging them up and moving them to along the house foundation to allow room for other plants to grow better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      Me, too on the barely open blooms. I have some lilies that are starting to come up, which seems very early for here. But I don't think the lilies will bloom for another couple of months in my area.
      That sounds like a good plan, moving the iris. Enjoy your flowers!

      Delete

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