Transient glories
TULIPS are often, and not always correctly, regarded as unreliably perennial additions to the garden, but their charm, availability and range of colours are so extraordinary that this is mostly a price worth paying for a big flounce in spring. Their transience is understandable, as the epicentre of this decorative genus is on the stony hillsides of Central Asia, where the bulbs (protected underground in snug, often hairy bulb tunics) enjoy harsh winters and hot dry summers, during which moisture is drained away and they become dormant, entering a phase of aestivation.
Our maritime climate presents challenges, but some species—or Botanical tulips—can be encouraged to spread andand
