My Best and Worst Tulip Bulbs of 2022

Every year I experiment with new tulip bulbs and report back on my experience to you, dear reader. The hits and the misses. I do this also to provide a record for myself of which tulips worked and which were a washout. Because you can bet your bottom dollar that by the time I get to October, like a goldfish I’ll have completely forgotten what I even planted in the previous year, let alone whether they were any good or not!

So without any further ado – here’s what I tried out and how the tulip bulbs performed.

My 2022 Tulip Bulbs Plans

I probably ought to kick off with my objectives for 2022 – as believe it or not (and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if you didn’t believe me) I did have a bit of a plan.

I have three main places where I plant tulip bulbs each year these are my raised tulip bed, my patio containers and at the front of my house. For the red corner of my patio, I wanted plum and red toned tulips, at the front of my cottage I was experimenting with pots with all white bulb planting, including some white tulip bulbs. While in my raised bed I wanted to try out a bit of a free for all colour-wise. Whereas last year in the raised bed I planted whites, creams, pinks and mauves – all very restrained, soft and stylish. This year I decided to go mad and experiment with much hotter, clashing colours to see how that would look. As a result, I’ve a real mix of tulip shapes and colours to report on for you!

Let’s start with some major hits…

Tulip Muvota 10/10

If you are looking for something a bit different Tulip Muvota is a must. Growing about 50cm tall this a triumph tulip that will add a real wow factor to your colour scheme. She has a deep purplish brown centre, the petals then bleed to a coppery peach. She’s exquisite, really sophisticated. Any photos you see on bulb packets or retailer websites do not do justice to this beauty.

I was growing tulips as part of my sustainable cut flowers for the home initiative. I want to see if I can fill my vases all year round from the garden, and avoid supermarket flowers with all the pesticides, plastic wrap and air miles which they entail. If you’re doing the same, I think Tulip Muvota looks particularly effective in a vase with another of my winners this year – Tulip Queen of Night.

Queen of Night 9/10

Dark, dramatic, with a matt sheen – I think the tulip Queen of Night (at the top of the above picture) is another huge hit. She’s not as unusual as Muvota, but she’s pure class on the looks front and at 60cm tall is really statuesque in a container or flower bed.

Two Tone Tulip Bulbs – Salmon Dynasty 8/10

My experimentation with two-tone tulip bulbs in my raised bed continued with Salmon Dynasty. I tried this tulip as the experts say it also makes a good cut flower – but I felt it looked particularly radiant in the bed. 50cm tall, it’s ostensibly a yellow tulip blushed with pinky tones. Some growers recommended have a lot in one bed for impact. But I think that might look a bit ‘custardy!’ I preferred it mixed up with other colours.

Creme Upstar 1/10

On paper you’d possibly think Creme Upstar is very similar to Salmon Dynasty. And I had high hopes for it. It certainly rocks a three-tone effect – cream, yellow and pink – with the colours almost painted on the flowers like an impressionist painting – or so the packet the tulip bulbs came in told me. The tulip is also a double, shorter (at 35/45cm) and with scented flowers people say it’s rose-like. Well, sadly, this tulip didn’t live up to such billing. It was at best, pleasent but who wants a ‘pleasant’ tulip? I won’t devote further space to it next year.

Danceline Tulip 2/10

Another of the tulip bulbs I certainly won’t be bothering with again is Danceline. I’m not sure why I tried it out as even looking now at the packet the tulip bulbs came in it looks a bit boring. And in the bed that’s exactly what it delivered. It has double flowers, and could look a bit peony-ish but that’s as glamorous as it gets. I’m sure someone loves this white/cream red flecked tulip but not me!

Tuplip Bulbs – Verandi 9/10

Move over you wishy-washy wash-outs, here comes Verandi! Verandi is again two-tone but its colours are oh so striking. It has brilliant glowing deep red petals adorned with a thin edge of yellow. It looks molten in the sunshine. All this pulsating loveliness sits atop a sturdy green stem. All I can say is wow!

Cabanna 8/10

The Copacabana may be the hottest spot south of Havanna according to Barry Manilow, but the Cabanna tulip is cool, calm and collected. More Disney Princess than Latina lovely. It’s a two-toned tulip but this time a parrot variety. And I have to say, I’ve concluded that for the most part I don’t like parrot tulips. I find the shape a bit too false. However, for this pretty as a picture plant, I’m willing to make an exception. Luxurious and two-toned pink, despite not being a girly-girl myself, I found this most feminine of tulips a stunner.

Single Colour Tulip Bulbs – Kingsblood 9/10

I really struck it lucky with vibrant coloured tulips this year and Kingsblood was definitely one which delivered in every way. At 60cm tall it catches the eye due to its stature. But then throw into the mix the boldest of brilliant red colouring and its long lasting blooms and you have a red-hot showstopper on your hands.

Pretty Love 8/10

Another of those tulip bulbs with long lasting blooms, Pretty Love is superb. The lily-shaped tulip is pink with slightly darker accents. I found it really good as a cut flower and long-lasting in my border. Its shape also provided a beautiful contrast to the other tulips in my tulip bed.

I’m only giving it a 8/10 as there are many other super pink tulips out there you could try. Indeed, if I could only have one, I’d choose Pretty Princess which featured on my list of best tulips last year or I’d go for Salmon Impression which I grew this year.

Tulip Bulbs Salmon Impression 9/10

Tulip Salmon Impression is an exquisite beauty, pink and satiny, gently flushed with pale apricot- pink.  The flowers are large and goblet shaped held on tall strong stems. This means the tulip will withstand wind and rain – a consideration if you’re in an exposed part of the country.

This beauty is by rights multicoloured. As if I look closely at it, the inner petals are a slightly deep salmon-apricot with (if I’m going to get all artsy on you) a bluish base. It’s beautiful. But to put it more simply, if you’re after a pink tulip, that’s a great as a cut flower, then this is for you!

Black Hero -9/10

Dark plum/raspberry red, double flowers on a sturdy stem hardly does justice to the Black Hero tulip. It’s completely delicious. I’ve a massive basket full of the beauties in the red corner of my patio and absolutely everyone who walks past it remarks on just how lovely it is.

White Tulip Bulbs

I experimented with some white tulip bulbs this year too – with mixed results.

Swan Wings 7/10

For my white spring containers which sit either side of my front door, I planted up a real mix of white muscari, hyacinths, crocuses, daffodils and yes tulips. You can see the exact mix of white flowering bulbs here. Of the two white tulips I went for, Swan Wings was the best. It has matt satin, unusually fringed, white petals which curl back as the tulip ages. It’s also popular with bees and fragrant. It looked lovely alongside the other bulbs – really holding its own.

Super Parrot ?/10

I’m not sure what to say about Super Parrot. These tulip bulbs produce large white flowers which have deeply distorted petals, with large green flames and stripes running up them. It has a long flowering period – but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing as the tulip is rather ugly. But – and here’s the rub – it’s ugliness almost makes it attractive! It’s sort of like artsy clotted cream! I had a massive bunch of them in a vase and couldn’t decide whether it looked good or not.

So you decide! In the comments below tell me what score I should give this tulip.

Happy gardening – and voting!