Here’s a fun gardening project to do with your child: planting tulips ready for early spring blooming!
You might think your gardening season is over once autumn arrives, but if you want lots of colourful blooms next spring, it’s not too late yet. Late autumn and early winter are great months for planning ahead and tidying up the garden for next year’s growing season.
Planting Tulips is a Great Garden Project
Unlike other spring bulbs, such as daffodils and crocuses, which should be planted in September and October, tulips can go in the ground later, in November and December. In fact, planting them later helps prevent a disease called tulip fire.
You can get a wonderful selection of tulips in fantastic colours, so why not let the kids pick their favourites?
Tulips can be planted straight into the ground or in containers. Unlike daffodils, they generally only flower well for one season unless planted in a very hot, dry spot.
Our Planting Tulips Project
We planted small 15cm pots, just enough room for two or three bulbs. We used a small variety called ‘Red Riding Hood’, which grows to about 30cm tall.
If you’re planting containers at home, you might like to try something a bit bigger. Blue glazed containers, for example, look lovely with white or red tulips. You could also use three matching pots in different sizes, choosing flower colours that complement rather than clash.
#### You will need:
- Pots
- Compost
- Tulip bulbs
- Winter flowering bedding
- Water
- Label
#### How to do it:
1. Fill the pot a third full with compost (or more, depending on the size of the pot and bulb).
2. Tulips should be planted three times their depth and twice their width apart.
3. Plant bulbs with the pointed end up, roots down.
4. Add compost on top.
5. Then plant your winter bedding — we used winter pansies.
6. Label your pot.
7. Water well and leave outside.
Do this now, and you’ll have lovely tulips blooming in April or May.
Tulips can also be added to winter containers alongside other plants. Shrubs such as ivy, euonymus and skimmia give lovely winter colour, while evergreen grasses like carex look great right through the season. Other good winter bedding choices include violas, primulas and cyclamen.
If you’d like your bulbs to bloom again the following year, lift them once the leaves have turned yellow and dried out, then store the bulbs somewhere cool and dry before replanting in November. For more detailed guidance, the RHS advice page on tulips is a great resource.
Have you tried planting tulips for a splash of garden colour in early spring? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to plant tulip bulbs?
Tulips are best planted later than other spring bulbs, in November or December, rather than in September or October. Planting them later in the year helps protect them from a disease called tulip fire.
Can I grow tulips in pots instead of in the ground?
Yes. Small pots work well for two or three bulbs, and larger containers are great for a bigger display. Just make sure bulbs are planted at the right depth and spacing, with drainage for the pot.
Will tulips come back year after year?
Often only for one season, especially in containers. If you want them to return, lift the bulbs once the leaves have yellowed and dried, store them somewhere cool and dry, and replant them in November.
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More Garden Ideas
Enjoyed this project? Browse our other family gardening ideas for more simple, seasonal activities to try together — no special equipment needed, just a pot, some compost, and a bit of patience.
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