I've made no secret about my penchant for mixing purple with orange in the garden. And in my wardrobe. And in my home. It's such a happy combination, so bright and bold. So when I spotted this collection on the cover of the new Colorblends catalog, I nearly ripped the pages in my excitement as I searched for the description page.
Colorblends is the wholesale-priced source for bulbs I promised to tell you about. When I asked Christian Curless, a horticulturist at the Bridgeport, Conn.-based distributor, for the specific names of the three varieties in this particular "blend," he told me that, well, he couldn't tell me.
"We invest a lot of time and effort in developing, testing and marketing the blends," he said. "They are what sets us apart in the marketplace."
Colorblends grew out of Schipper & Company, a bulb business that got its start in the Netherlands in 1912. After World War II, founder Cornelis Schipper moved to the United States. Since then, the family-run company has been supplying wholesale bulbs to trade professionals, estates, universities, golf courses, corporations and private growers.
The Colorblends approach is to sell pre-blended mixtures of different varieties of tulips. Sure, individual varieties are available, but I love the striking professionally arranged combinations offered. Plus, it takes some of the pressure off: You don't have to worry about coordinating bloom times or heights or shapes.
And the best part is the bulbs come direct from Holland -- without a middleman -- and are sold at wholesale prices to anyone. You needed be affiliated with a business to take advantage of the deals.
I found the customer service to be excellent and quite conscientious. When I requested my bulbs be delivered a couple of weeks earlier than the "recommended planting time" for our area, which is when most catalogs ship, a concerned Curless contacted me personally to inquire about my plans. (This is a courtesy I assume is extended to everyone, as he didn't know I was a garden columnist before he contacted me.) When I told him I wanted them early so that I could plant them at the same time shrubs and foundation plantings would be going in, we agreed on a compromise. And the bulbs -- tulips, daffodils and crocuses -- arrived right on schedule, nicely packed in a milk crate.
In all, I ordered 710 bulbs, and I found them to be of impeccable quality. Of those, less than a handful needed to be discarded. All too often, a disappointing percentage of bulbs arrive rotted, moldy or broken. I'm very impressed with the quality.
And the prices -- I picked up 10 Allium Globemaster bulbs, which I've seen retail for as much as $19.99 apiece, for just $5 each.
As far as I'm concerned, Colorblends can keep it's proprietary combinations a secret. I don't need to know the botanical or common names of my tulips. I'd just like my garden to look like I hired a designer.
I'll post the end results -- along with photos -- in the spring.
Name: Above and Beyond, a Colorblends tulip collection
Height: 12" - 16"
Bloom time: Mid-late spring
Purchased from: Colorblends.com
How many: 200
Duds in the batch: 1
Catalog description: "A festive blend of three tulips that bloom at slightly different heights. Each is beautiful on its own; together they put on a rousing show that will have you, and passersby, asking for an encore."
