Ok so let start by me telling you I am not a gardener, but I do love tulips. (By the way, start looking for the camera of your dreams because this is a no brainer!!)
Buy your tulip bulbs when the local stores start selling them for the best choice, and when they are running out of stock, for the best deals.
Look on the bag and fool proof instructions are always there, in graphic form.
They will tell you when to plant ( fall is always best, maybe a month or three weeks max before the snow flies... (Last Dec. found a bag of bulbs in the closet I forgot to plant, and put them in on Dec. 19... and sure enough, they had started to sprout but in they went anyway. This spring they ALL grew beautifully.) and how deep,.... anything 6 inches or below should do, and how far apart, usually about 4 to 6 inches.. pointy end up. I would advise that you dig the earth a couple of inches lower than the bulb, and fill it back in so the soil is loose and can drain well.. A few small stones in the bottom of your hole is a good little bit of insurance for good drainage. I prefer to dig a trench about 10 inches or so wide and space my bulbs in two rows one across the front and one across the back of the trench alternately (Zig Zag pattern) as that seems to work well for me, instead of individual holes, but you make your own call. I have one of those metal tulip bulb hole tools and they are really handy and fast, so if this is going to be an on-going thing, and you want to plant them individually, I would recommend the investment of a few dollars on one, or, like me, just use a shovel and dig a trench. Now as for the end result. You can buy early season, mid season and late season blooming bulbs, so look on the package for the expected date. Here in Ottawa Ontario, Canada, I have tulips blooming from as soon as the snow allows, usually early to mid march (and new snow will not hurt them, don't rush out to cover them, it's ok!) until the end of May. Usually the early ones are short, maybe 5 inches max tall and the late ones might be 15 inches tall. The mid to late bloomers are the most beautiful and colorful.
And here is the clincher, they will bloom a second and third year... with no effort on your part... Those early bloomers are at least 10 years in the ground.
Now for the choice of colours and display. I prefer "bunches" maybe 15 or 20, in a close knit patch, maybe 2 to three or four feet long max. then space that patch a few feet from the next patch, and dig in another 15 or 20, this time of a different colour and maybe a different breed. (the single tulips are what everyone looks for but if you buy a patch of "Doubles" they have a whole lot more petals on them and almost resemble a carnation... There are also "Parrot" ones that have very pretty ruffled edges... look at the picture and see what you want...mix and match your colour of flowers and you will be able to buy the most expensive camera your wife can afford!!!
Ok so let start by me telling you I am not a gardener, but I do love tulips. (By the way, start looking for the camera of your dreams because this is a no brainer!!)
Buy your tulip bulbs when the local stores start selling them for the best choice, and when they are running out of stock, for the best deals.
Look on the bag and fool proof instructions are always there, in graphic form.
They will tell you when to plant ( fall is always best, maybe a month or three weeks max before the snow flies... (Last Dec. found a bag of bulbs in the closet I forgot to plant, and put them in on Dec. 19... and sure enough, they had started to sprout but in they went anyway. This spring they ALL grew beautifully.) and how deep,.... anything 6 inches or below should do, and how far apart, usually about 4 to 6 inches.. pointy end up. I would advise that you dig the earth a couple of inches lower than the bulb, and fill it back in so the soil is loose and can drain well.. A few small stones in the bottom of your hole is a good little bit of insurance for good drainage. I prefer to dig a trench about 10 inches or so wide and space my bulbs in two rows one across the front and one across the back of the trench alternately (Zig Zag pattern) as that seems to work well for me, instead of individual holes, but you make your own call. I have one of those metal tulip bulb hole tools and they are really handy and fast, so if this is going to be an on-going thing, and you want to plant them individually, I would recommend the investment of a few dollars on one, or, like me, just use a shovel and dig a trench. Now as for the end result. You can buy early season, mid season and late season blooming bulbs, so look on the package for the expected date. Here in Ottawa Ontario, Canada, I have tulips blooming from as soon as the snow allows, usually early to mid march (and new snow will not hurt them, don't rush out to cover them, it's ok!) until the end of May. Usually the early ones are short, maybe 5 inches max tall and the late ones might be 15 inches tall. The mid to late bloomers are the most beautiful and colorful.
And here is the clincher, they will bloom a second and third year... with no effort on your part... Those early bloomers are at least 10 years in the ground.
Now for the choice of colours and display. I prefer "bunches" maybe 15 or 20, in a close knit patch, maybe 2 to three or four feet long max. then space that patch a few feet from the next patch, and dig in another 15 or 20, this time of a different colour and maybe a different breed. (the single tulips are what everyone looks for but if you buy a patch of "Doubles" they have a whole lot more petals on them and almost resemble a carnation... There are also "Parrot" ones that have very pretty ruffled edges... look at the picture and see what you want...mix and match your colour of flowers and you will be able to buy the most expensive camera your wife can afford!!!
Good luck, from Ottawa, On. Canada.