Not everything has to be a contest, but if you can have the coolest tulips on the block, why wouldn’t you go for the gold? Ice cream tulips will have everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing over your flower beds in the spring. Whether you see a bowl full of vanilla ice cream or a fruity sorbet topped with whipped cream, this beautiful flower looks good enough to eat. Plant the ice cream tulip in the fall, and it will be ready to enjoy in the spring.
The ice cream tulip is a type of double tulip, which is known for its fluffy-looking petals that resemble peony plants more than tulips. They bloom in late spring as the weather warms up, probably when you start craving frozen treats to enjoy in the sun. Planting in the fall allows the tulip bulbs to be exposed to the cold, so they’ll sprout in the spring. They’ll need protection from freezing temperatures, but these flowers will last a few years, so plant them in a place you’ll be happy to keep them.
How to plant an ice cream tulip
Ice cream tulips need planting in the fall to bloom in the spring. This way, the bulbs will have plenty of time to establish roots and survive winter. If you plant too early in the season, you may give the bulbs too much time to grow and cause them to sprout in fall, but freezing temperatures will kill them. Learn when you can plant tulips in your area to get it just right for successful spring flowers.
Choose a location that will receive full sun exposure. The soil should be on the sandy side so it will easily drain and not clump together and cause puddling. You can add up to 1 foot of soil in puddle-prone areas to create better drainage. Add bulb fertilizer to the soil and plant the bulb at least three times its height, which should be 4 to 5 inches deep. If your soil is super sandy, plant it a little deeper. Keep your bulbs planted at the same depth since it will affect the height of the blooms. Of course, you can stagger the depths slightly if you don’t want your flowers at the same heights. You can plant multiple bulbs in one hole as long as you keep them at least 3 inches apart. Keep the soil moist until the first freeze since this is when the roots will stop growing. Add up to 3 inches of mulch to protect the bulbs from freezing temperatures.
Ice cream tulips are versatile in the garden
These delicious-looking tulips typically grow to be 12 to 16 inches tall and spread up to 6 inches wide. They don’t take up too much space in the garden, making them easy to incorporate into your landscape. Plant them in groups if you want a sea of fluffy tops, or space them out so individual flowers can steal the show. Pay attention to plant heights so you don’t accidentally cover your tulips up with a taller plant. Utilize low-laying plants in a way that will complement the tulips. Ice cream tulips also grow well in containers, so you can use them as focal points on your patio or balcony if you have limited space.
One thing to remember about tulips is that their foliage won’t die back until the summer. Perennial plants need to live their entire life cycle for longevity. Cutting back tulip foliage after blooming to make room for other plants could reduce bloom size next year. Plant your tulips somewhere you won’t mind having their greenery around until as late as July in some areas. Once the foliage turns brown, you can cut them back and focus on fall-blooming flowers.
