Planting tulip bulbs, or bulbs of any kind, is an act of faith. When they arrive they don't look like much, and different varieties look very similar. We have to have total trust that the bulbs we're planting are what they say they are on the tin.
After planting comes months of careful observation, waiting for those first shoots in early spring and hoping to see flower buds shortly afterwards. It is not until the flowers are almost formed that you can start to see whether or not the tulips you have lovingly cultivated are going to delight or disappoint.
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How common is it for tulips to come up the wrong colour?
If you've planned a garden scheme around a specific colour, it can be really frustrating when something appears that doesn't fit with the scheme. A white garden starts to look a little off with red tulips blooming in the borders and rows of pink tulips don't look so romantic when the odd yellow flower crops up.
Of course, in the grand scheme of things a few bulbs popping up the wrong colour isn't very important and the bees and the butterflies will be just as pleased. But it can be frustrating, so how often does this actually happen?
We surveyed our followers on Instagram to find out. 64 per cent of people who responded said they had ordered tulips that came up the wrong colour. Only 12 per cent of people who had problems with their bulbs complained to the supplier, but 25 per cent of people had been put off ordering bulbs in the future.
One respondent told us: "I ordered 15 'Spring Green' tulips, only one was spring green and the rest are a very bright fringed yellow!" Another person said: "A lot of bulbs have come up in orange shades. I hate orange and did not order this colour!"
Other colour disasters included someone ordering tulip 'Queen of Night,' a deep purple variety which came up bright red, and the orange tulip 'Ballerina' coming up yellow. Grievances didn't stop with wrong colours, and people also complained of bulbs arriving mouldy, having short flower stems or simply not performing well.
Another follower told us: "I ordered hundreds of white tulips for a display. One was red, it really stood out! We saw the humour though."
So what should you do if your tulips come up the wrong colour?
It can be tricky to know what to do if your tulip bulbs aren't what you ordered, especially given that the bulbs would have been ordered several months before. We spoke to Polly Nicholson, organic flower grower and holder of the National Collection of Tulipa (historic) who orders between three and four-thousand tulip bulbs a year.
She told us: "Even the best suppliers occasionally send the wrong tulips; they are handling enormous quantities, and tulip bulbs all look pretty similar. I always take a photograph of the offending tulips when in flower, and email it to the supplier, including my order number and an explanation. If you have a good relationship with the company they will do their best to help you and refund appropriately." Polly adds: "If they come up wrong in a container I just pick them."
So, if your tulips have come up the wrong colour this year here are some easy steps to follow:
- Take pictures of the flowers
- Find your order confirmation
- Email the supplier with your photographs and proof of your order
In most cases, suppliers should be willing to help in any way they can. In the meantime, try to enjoy the tulips that are blooming, even if they aren't what you expected.
Polly's new book, The Tulip Garden, is out now and can be purchased at waterstones.co.uk
