Tulips in the Deep South

American Village in Montevallo, Alabama, holds an annual Festival of Tulips, and this year I almost missed it. We arrived two days before the end of the festival, and many of the blooms were spent or already picked by visitors, who, for a fee, are allowed to pull bulbs to take home. Other blossoms had been decimated by a storm the previous weekend. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day, and there were enough tulips left to appreciate. Many thousands of red, purple, yellow, pink and white tulips, including striped and ruffled varieties, are planted yearly in "You-pick-em" fields. I was happy to meet some of the families and groups of friends who spread across the fields with baskets to search for the perfect blooms. 

Tulips don't flourish in the Deep South, and many people here choose to treat them as annuals, planting new, pre-chilled bulbs each fall. Otherwise, those in climates with mild winters like mine may encourage tulips to rebloom by lifting bulbs in early fall, putting them in a paper bag, then refrigerating them for two to three months before replanting in late fall or early winter. Tulips must have well-drained soil; they should never be planted in wet or irrigated areas. Plant in full sun, 4 - 6 inches deep. Remove the flowers after they fade, but don't cut the foliage. Tulip foliage should be allowed to yellow for 6 weeks so bulbs can store energy for next year's bulbs.

One thing I learned at the tulip festival is that tulips should not be put in the same vase with Narcissus. Flowers like Daffodils secrete a substance that causes the tulips to wilt.

I enjoyed my outing to the Festival of Tulips. I enjoyed the blooms, and I enjoyed watching other people who were enjoying them, too. Shared fun in a "You-pick-em" field makes those tulips extra special.