Monday, May 22, 2006

Black Hero Tulips


Sarah Raven, who is well known for her choice of deep coloured flowers, has been trialling dark tulips and this week reported her results in her gardening column in the Saturday Telegraph. The results are very subjective - and the low rainfall in sussex this past month hardly tests the category of weather resistance - but I certainly agree with her top choice - Black Hero - a double form of Queen of the Night, which opens out into a shiny black peony like bloom. The tulip is - unlike most double tulips - very tall and looks good in bud (a bit like an artichoke) as well as bloom.
I "do the flowers" for the Royal Bank of Scotland in Drymen and put a tall vase of Black Hero tulips in there last week - I have had dozens of people phoning about them - unfortunately we are all sold out. I think that I shall get some extra bulbs in the autumn and shall be able to sell some.

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