Tulips

This time of year tulips seem to be the most prominent of the seasonal 'highlight' plants. I adore watching the stages, from emergence right through to final petal fall, after months of entertainment!! The dying foliage is not so great - so make sure you combine it with herbaceous perennials that emerge from slumber just as the tulips fade, so they help hide the tulip foliage..

The green buds of this Rococo border on ugly,
but fascinating all the same!!

Then finally the big colour-up. 

This is a lot darker in real life. Amazing depth of colour - darkest burgundy

Nothing beats bright red tulips amongst the spring greenery. They are a real accent point.

Seen here in combination with Heuchera Palace Purple.

And if you can bear picking them, they last AGES in a vase.
The stalks contort to all sorts of shapes!