'Candy Corner' Tulip Bulbs, Single Early

Candy Corner Tulips

We really like this new, cutting edge tulip Candy Corner. Just like any good sweet shop, it is full of so many colours and good things that we know it is going to be one of our fastest selling tulips this season. The custard yellow petals segue through apricot into a lipstick kiss of cerise pink towards the edge. It sounds a little overdone but in reality its colouring works beautifully giving you several tones of colour to play with while none fight together. The shape of the flower is slightly more globular than oval and the petals tend to open outwards as they mature. Not too tall, these tulips can be relied upon to stand tall and proud for the duration of their flowers. There are so many excellent tulips for sale out there that it takes something pretty noticeable to be awarded the RHS AGM; Candy Corner has done just that.

Good enough to eat....

...and that is why we strongly recommend devoting a section of your cutting garden to growing this tulip for vases and vases of them to adorn your table. They make you feel hungry just looking at them! Not that they do need livening up, but any red, gold or apricot tulips would be fun additions to the cutting corner. Try Aladdin, Crystal Star or Apricot Foxx to that end. Include Candy Corner towards the front of a herbaceous border so that other plants will disguise the dying leaves later in the season. You can plant tulip bulbs under a foliage plant like Heuchera in a pot. Heuchera Plum Pudding has dark, coppery leaves that would look fantastic with Candy Corner tulips emerging through them. And don't forget that some daffodils like Cheerfulness also flower as late as Candy Corner and the two would make a very handsome pair. Being relatively short of stature but with its impeccable breeding you can also rely on Candy Corner to be a true perennial and to withstand any wind and rain that spring may chance to throw at it.

Features of Candy Corner Tulips

• Colour: apricot, red, yellow
• Height: 40 cm
• Scent: none
• Flowering: late April, early May
• Planting Depth: 3 times the height of the bulb
• Planting Months: October - November
• RHS AGM

And did you know....

While there are about 75 wild tulip species in the world, there are now over 3,000 tulip varieties bred specifically for the gardening market. They come in every colour and many shapes and sizes. It is just a shame that they do not last on through the summer....but maybe some breeder is working on that now.

Give tulips a bit of room when planting - we recommend leaving 6-8 cms between bulbs. The planting depth should be at least three times deeper than the bulb is tall. The pointy end is the top...

If you want to keep your tulips for the following year, plant them DEEP (20 cms is fine) and deadhead as soon as the flowers fade. Many varieties will stay in the ground and multiply happily, but if you are in doubt, it is a good idea to lift them when the foliage has withered. Dry them off in a dark, dry, cool place, remove any dried soil and store them (in the dark at a low room temperature) in a tray or net, having first removed any diseased or damaged bulbs. Replant the following October/November.

Applying a high potash fertiliser during the growing season improves the flowering performance the next year. Lift and divide clumps of tulips if flowering is poor.