I grow tulips in my garden sometimes specially to paint. Parrot tulips are not always easy to find as cut flowers so I grow these to paint. They have extravagant showy flowers in exciting colours. Most of them don't flower again the next year.
Every year around 25,000 tulips are planted for the tulip festival at Pashley Manor Gardens in Sussex. I have some silk paintings cards and prints in the exhibition there, I usually include at least one painting a a tulip.
There is also a rose festival later in the year.
above Tulipa saxatalis Bakeri group, 'Lilac Wonder' aka Canadian tulip
This is the most prolific tulip I have ever grown. I started from a small packet of tiny bulbs given to me by a neighbour. It was a couple of years before they flowered and since then they have continued to multiply and flower. Each stem carries 2 or 3 flowers. I have them in several parts of the garden and have given bulbs away.
Below from the left a collection with coordinating colours from Sarah Raven
The others mostly came from Wilkinsons. Red Darwin tulips which are good for repeat flowering and Peach Blossom and Angelique.
below Parrot tulip from a mixed pack.
Below Parrot Tulips original silk painting (c) Tessa Spanton SWA
