Among the thousands of tulip varieties, there are those that invariably attract attention, causing surprise and admiration. Naturally, every gardener has his own preferences, but very many people like terry and fringed varieties. Early terry varieties are also beautiful in their own way. They, as a rule, are not very high, therefore they are especially good on rocky hills, in border plantings and landscape compositions. But terry late varieties have a number of advantages over them. Fortunately, in the Russian language there is a rather capacious and correct name for such varieties - thick double, i.e. having 18-20 petals or more in each glass. In English, all double and semi-double plant forms are denoted by one word double, which literally means "double", since the first double varieties, most likely, had just double the number of petals.
Group of terry late tulips (Double Late), going in the garden classification of tulips at number 11, unites varieties of various origins, which are characterized by large, about 10 cm in diameter, double flowers with wide rounded petals. Similar in appearance to peony flowers, they are also called peony flowers. Unlike double early varieties that bloom already at the end of April, double late blooms 8-12 days later and longer, up to 3 weeks, sometimes capturing the beginning of June. They are more powerful and taller, up to 50-60 cm tall, making them good for cutting and forcing. The flowers are more varied in color (white, pink, apricot, yellow, red, lilac, purple - almost black, there are two-color varieties). Some of the varieties have retained a wonderful aroma (Angelique, Alegretto, Cream Upstar, Monsella).
Terry late tulips appeared a very long time ago, immediately after the dying out of the Dutch "tulip mania" (the first variety was described in 1665), but none of the oldest varieties has survived to this day. Now the main distribution is the varieties bred since the middle of the last century - Angelique, Carnaval de Nice, Lilac Perfection, Maywonder, Miranda, Monsella, Mount Tacoma, Renown Unique, Uncle Tom, Upstar, Wirosa. But recently, new, noteworthy, densely double varieties have appeared, which, without a doubt, can take the most advantageous places in your spring garden.
These varieties, first of all, should include the Double Beauty of Apeldoorn variety, which was also given the original name Sun Lover or "Loving Sun" for its orange-yellow color with red strokes. Unlike other varieties, the petals tightly cover the center of the flower, which resembles the shape of a fluffy ranunculus or a charmingly scruffy rose. Stems are high, 50 cm.
No less beautiful is the new improved Orange Angelique, derived from the well-known and well-proven pale pink Angelique. Many people will like the red-burgundy variety Dream Touch and its white counterpart White Touch. The first one is more than 10 cm in diameter, deep purple in color, with a graceful silvery-white border that emphasizes the multiplicity of petals. The second has white petals with a greenish "backlight" at the base.
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Expressive and bright yellow-orange-red variety Artist Double (Gudoshnik Double). All three colors in a different combination of tones and halftones are present at the same time! An old, well-known variety, Gudoshnik, gave rise to the densely doubled sport, which the Dutch growers, without hesitation, called the Gudoshnik Double. Of course, the name is a little funny for our ear, but the tulip itself is very beautiful.
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Mascotte - lush double flowers with delicate fringes along the edge, mesmerizing purple-bluish undertones. Height 40 cm.
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Charming Lady is another amazing sport from the Angelica variety, 45 cm high, with a flower diameter of 12-14 cm. Opens golden apricot, often with irregular pink strokes, becomes paler as it blooms. Fragrant.
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Queensland is a luxurious tulip reminiscent of pink marzipan in a melting milky white glaze, with a thick fringe around the edge of the petals. Height 40-50 cm.
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Brest is a deep pink luminous fringed tulip with a white border.
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Baccara - has the opposite color combination - the petals are white, with an irregular bright pink border. Exceptionally dense, densely "stuffed" flower. Great for both curbs and flower beds, and for cutting;
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Please note that many of these varieties are also fringed, along the edges of their petals there is a fringe of rigid needle-like outgrowths of various lengths sticking out in all directions. At the top of the petals, the fringe is usually the thickest and longest. It is also present in supernovae - canary yellow, with a slight "dusting" orange in the center, Artichoke and orange with a yellow border Dutch Pioneer.
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Terry tulips, like other varieties with unusual flowers - fringed, parrot, etc., are usually planted in the foreground of flower beds, mixborders or near paths, as well as in containers and flowerpots so that you can admire each flower close up.
If the flower beds with tulips are large enough, then their uniformly green color, before the development of buds, can be diversified by replanting early low-growing varieties with decorative variegated (variegated) foliage with white-cream, white-pink or yellow edging. In this sense, the varieties Albion Star, China Town, Donna Bella, Gluck, Green River, Oratorio, Red Riding Hood, Rosario, Plaisir, Sweet Lady and especially Praestans Unicum, Fire of Love and Multi Orange Desighn are very interesting.
Between mid-late and late double tulips, it is good to plant a flowering at the same time a low anemone - tender anemone (Anemona blanda). And multi-colored or monochromatic crocuses will effectively and stylishly decorate your flower bed in April - early May. As a ground cover and framing a flower bed, you can use the flowering arabis, violka, muscari and saxifrage at this time. All of the plants listed above can be easily combined in mixed mixborders, adding to them a little bright daffodils, hazel grouses, primroses or various small bulbous ones. Yellow and white undersized and medium-sized daffodils, muscari and crocuses, primroses, forget-me-nots, various sedum plants, arabis, chickweed and especially pansies and daisies go well with tulips.
The rules for planting double late tulips are no different from the rest. Planting depth - about 2.5-3 times the height of the bulb, if you count from its bottom. The distance between plants depends on the purpose of planting and varies from 10 to 12 cm.Tulips form numerous roots in a layer 10-15 cm thick, so it is better to prepare a layer of earth for their planting with a depth of at least 25-30 cm.For better flowering next spring before autumn digging is made with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Usually, under all bulbous plants, it is recommended to add coarse river sand with a low content of clay inclusions, as well as well-rotted compost and dolomite flour for deoxidation.
If the spring turns out to be dry, planting tulips should be watered fairly regularly and abundantly. In Holland, it is believed that a summer with moderately heavy rainfall for tulips is a blessing. However, they are grown there only in a 30-kilometer coastal zone, on sandy and sandy loam lands. In our areas with a high content of the clay fraction, excess moisture can lead to a completely opposite result, therefore, it is advisable to add more coarse river sand for planting bulbs and ensure good moisture and air permeability of the soil.
During the period of development and growth of buds, plant care consists in shallow loosening of the topsoil and weed control. For top dressing, it is best to use special fertilizers for bulbous crops. Large heavy flowers of double late tulips can lie down from wind and rain and even break off. However, the newer varieties have stronger stems and are generally wind-resistant. For them, it is important to adhere to agricultural technology so that the flowers fully reveal all the decorative characteristics, and the main quality for which they are grown is terry.
