My Top 5 Tulips (Today)

After dabbling with different tulips for years, last season we upped our game and finally did a proper-ish trial! Tulips really are the queens of spring (ranuncs may be the divas, but tulips are queen!).

So for list's sake here's what my top 5 are (today at least, I'm not sure I have fixed favourites as there's just so many good options).

Ridgedale

A mysterious new variety last season, Ridgedale kept us in anticipation the longest flowering just about last, but it was every bit as good as I'd hoped it would be and more! Complex coloured tulips aren't as common in NZ as I'd like, so Ridgedale fills that void perfectly! An impossible to describe / hard to photograph, muted rasperry with coppery, fawny undertones! Semi-double/single.

Wyndham

Another new variety last season, and also a perfectly complex deep dusky mauvey/muted boysenberry colour with antique cream tips! Together Ridgedale & Wyndham totally change the potential colour palette of spring bringing a rare touch of autumn to spring. 

Angelique

One of my favourite all time tulips! Shades of soft pink double peony tulip, often with multiple flowers per stem! Very similar to Foxtrot, however Angelique is a little taller, flowers later, and consistent in it's soft pink shades.

Menton Unique

One of the latest flowering tulip Menton Unique lives up to it's "peony" tulip status more than any other, the very large flowers truly look like coral peonies when they're fully open! It's peachy, salmony tones on crazy, crazy long stems make it an absolute must grow!

Verona

My first tulip crush ever, and as it flowers first every year, it always gets all the first flower swoons! Fully double with soft buttercreamy lemon tones and sweet faintly citrusy scents!

Other notable mentions that from time to time find themselves in my Top 5 on other days: Mascotte, Pretty Princess, Foxtrot, Flaming Kiss, Red Saigon, Honeymoon, Double Price and Piet Veerman.