There’s a reason tulips have graced gardens for centuries — few flowers deliver such satisfying symmetry, bold colour and sheer variety. From classic single tulips to flamboyant double tulips and fringed showpieces, tulip bulbs offer something for every planting scheme. Whether you're aiming for a painterly blend or a precise monochrome border, the diversity of tulips is a joy to explore. Tulip bulbs are planted in autumn, quietly settling in over winter before bursting into bloom with all the confidence of a flower that knows it’s been admired since the 17th century.

In the UK, tulip bulbs thrive in well-drained soil with a sunny disposition — much like the flowers themselves. Plant them around three times their height, and they’ll reward you with a strong, upright display come spring. For the best performance, treat them as annuals unless you’re growing species or botanical tulips, which are more reliably perennial in UK conditions. As tempting as it is to leave them in the ground year after year, most tulip bulbs give their best show when treated to a fresh start each season.

Whether you’re filling pots, lining a formal walkway, or creating a carefree, naturalistic planting scheme, tulips are an essential part of the spring garden. Their ability to pair with other spring-flowering bulbs or take centre stage on their own makes them wonderfully versatile. From compact tulip cultivars ideal for containers to tall, statuesque varieties that sway in the breeze, there’s a tulip for every corner of a UK garden. And with so many tulip bulbs to choose from, planning your display is half the fun — just be warned: once you start exploring tulips, it’s surprisingly difficult to stop.