Queens of the Night...

I like it when an idea comes together. Last September I had the idea of teaming up orange violas with the deep purple of Queen of the Night tulips. The violas looked great in the autumn but then went a bit straggly. Usually the winter frosts causes them to die back and then they bounce back in the spring. But the weather has been so mild that didn't happen. They look good from this angle though.

I was also worried about the tulips. I planted them out in the warmth of September and then learned that early planted tulips are susceptible to tulip fire. Tulip fire being a fungal infection that warps the leaves and flowers of the plant. Well I seem to have dodged that as well and the tulips are just about to open.

The colours work well with each other being opposites on the colour wheel. We plant tulips in pots because our ground is wet and clayey. Tulips hate that but in the pots they have the right kind of soil and I can ensure they are drained well. Once the tulips have finished I might try planting them out in a border under the eaves of the house which can be dry. I noticed neighbours across the street have done that and theirs comes back year after year.