Inspiring ideas for tulips

Drama queens

With two or three flowers to a stem for a longer-than-usual display, sultry deep-purple ‘Havran’ tulips and wine red, seed-raised ‘Vulcan’ wallflowers make a sumptuous pairing that works well in borders and containers. Flowers: Apr-May.

Highs and lows

When planning your partnerships, it’s crucial to think about height. Here the flowers of the 11⁄2ft (45cm)-tall pink and white, peony-flowered scented tulip ‘Angelique’ float above a froth of 1ft (30cm) ‘Royal Blue’ forget-me-nots. Flowers: Apr-May.

total white-out

Same flower colour, different plants. Fragrant white dwarf ‘Calgary’ tulips partner well with ‘Alabaster’ arabis. ‘Tasso White’ double daisies and the white variegated Holcus mollis ‘Albovariegatus’ can be added for contrast in form. Flowers: Apr-May.

red and gold

Shading to yellow at the edges, the mahogany-red flowers of ‘Abu Hassan’ tulips will shine amid the slender foliage of Carex comans, with its tones of honey and straw. Harmony of colouring yet contrast in form – lovely. Flowers: Apr-May.

Short story

With their similar heights and complementary colours, yellow dwarf tulips and blue dwarf forget-me-nots make an easy and dependable team in small containers or at the front of the border. Try 6in (15cm) tall Tulipa tarda and ‘Sylva’ forget-me-nots. Flowers: Apr.

Perennial favourites

Matching tulips with hardy perennials is another good approach. Euphorbia polychroma makes a stunning backdrop to darkred or purple mid-season tulips such as ‘Nigrita’ or AGM holder ‘Paul Scherer’. Flowers: Apr-May.

Wild fire

Fiery-red tulips look good in naturalistic planting combinations. Their block colour can be softened by the foliage and flowers of the black cow parsley ‘Ravenswing’, self-sowing happily, as well as the opening blooms of alliums. Flowers: May.

early wake-up call

They may not be happy together in a vase, but tulips and daffodils can look great side by side in the border. For a harmonious effect try ‘Jetfire’ daffs and the long-lasting, early-flowering ‘Orange Emperor’ tulips. Flowers: Mar-Apr.

Double whammy

For real impact, intermingle two contrasting or harmonising varieties of the same type of tulip in a container or in the border (planted as a drift). Deeppurple ‘Queen of The Night’ and purewhite ‘Snowpeak’ are particularly effective together. Flowers: May.