Flowering tulips in the herb garden

I know I should wait until the allium purple sensations flower in the herb garden before I take this shot. But what happens if these wonderful dark tulips go over before the alliums are out?

I tell you this succession planting is a dark art.

I’ve got it right in the barn garden where the muscari (instense dark blue) is replaced by the same colour of the iris flowers. Which are then picked up by the purple nepeta which flowers just before the French lavender which is then replaced by the later lavender.

But getting the tulips to hold on while the alliums catch up is a mystery. I ought to pay more attention to the suggested flowering times of the tulips. And order late flowering varieties.

And I know a few of you are going to ask; I wonder if she is going to name this tulip variety.  And in reply. I must Delve. Into my 2014 bulb order.  And that would require me getting off this sofa. And that’s not going to happen.

Okay. I’m curious myself. They are Queen of the Night. And they are supposed to be lates. But late where? Late for the Netherlands where the tulips are bred? Or just late for everyone all over Europe? Yep, it’s a dark art.

But as a nice contrast; how about this for a result? The stachys ground cover plants which carpet the barn garden. I was worried at the end of winter that I might have to weed out all the dead leaves that were matted in between the plants.

Nope.

And what a relief as I have so many thousands of these plants. I didn’t fancy having to somehow step in the narrow beds, crushing whatever is under my feet, and try and pluck out dead vegetation.

And best of all, when the stachys throw up their gorgeous grey felty stalks, they will be a brilliant contrast to the Queen of the Night tulips in the herb garden.

Watch this space for the bouquets I will make up for the next market day.