If you’ve seen your neighbors with their colorful mini tulip fields in the front yard this past Easter and wondered how you can have something like that too, we’ve got the answers for you. The best time to plant Tulip Bulbs to have them bloom by Easter next year is early fall. This guide walks you through why fall is the best time to plant tulip bulbs and how to care for them properly.
Why Plant Tulips in the Fall
Different plants should be planted around different times of the year for the perfect results. For example, early-blooming perennials need to settle and mature before their bloom time in February or March for the best visuals, while colorful annuals have very specific blooming periods.
For tulips, you want to plant them in early or mid-September because they need a steady period of cool temperatures to develop properly. The best time to plant tulips is in early fall, right before temperatures begin to cool. This lets the tulips grow their roots and stabilize, setting the stage for beautiful spring colors. A general rule is to plant them approximately 6 to 8 weeks before the ground begins to freeze.
Plant tulips pointy side up with bulbs placed 4 to 6 inches apart.
Planting Your Tulip Bulbs: A Step-By-Step Guide
You’ve got your tulip bulbs, now what? This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to properly plant your tulips so they grow and bloom.
1. Choose the Location
Starting by determining where you should plant your tulips. Tulips like plenty of sun and require good drainage. However, tulips are not generally drought-tolerant and should not be planted in the same zone as existing drought-tolerant plants.
Along the pathways, in a standalone garden bed, or by the curb are all good places to plant tulips.
2. Prepare the Bed
Prepare your flower bed by loosening the soil and removing any debris, rocks, weeds, roots, and trash. For better growth, you can incorporate a small amount of compost into the planting area and apply a bulb fertilizer according to the label directions.
3. Plant the Bulb
Plant your bulbs about 4 to 6 inches apart. Map out the positions and dig holes about 6 to 8 inches deep, or about three times the bulb’s height. Plant the tulip bulbs with the pointy end up. Fit them into the holes firmly, and avoid pressing them into the soil with force.
4. Backfill
Cover the bulbs completely with the original soil you’ve dug out. Make sure the bulbs are covered and the topsoil is firm. Use a garden shovel to gently pat down the surface.
5. Add Mulch
Once the tulips are covered, add mulch to your bed. Mulch will help insulate the soil, retain heat through Kansas City’s harsh winters, and ensure even moisture distribution.
6. Water thoroughly
Finally, give the area a good, thorough watering. This helps boost initial root growth and ensures your tulips settle in steadily.
Do Tulips Come Back Every Year? Hybrid vs. Series Tulips
Contrary to popular belief, not all tulips are perennials. At Royal Creations, we only use hybrid tulips, which are annual blooms. Only series tulips will come back every year.
Hybrid vs. Series Tulips: Pros and Cons
Before we dive deeper into the differences between hybrid and series tulips, be aware that most tulips in the market today are hybrid tulips. If you want series tulips, you may need to find a specialty grower.
Hybrid tulips take the best of their parents, so they are often favored for their bigger flowers and brighter colors. Hybrid tulips are also cold-resistant and can survive through winter why growing out their roots in the fall. However, hybrid tulips are annuals that do not come back.
Series tulips, or species tulips, are the old aristocrats in the tulip world, upon which modern hybrid tulips got their original strands. These tulips are perennial and will return every year to grace your yard. They tend to be smaller and work better as delicate decors or accents.
How to Care for Tulip Bulbs
During the growing season, keep the soil moist but not soggy with standing water. Water generously during dry spells, such as early spring. Apply initial fertilizer during planting, then again when shoots begin to sprout in the spring.
Here are some additional points when it comes to taking care of your tulips:
Tulips thrive the most in temperatures between 55°F and 70°F.
Tulips need ample watering and good drainage. Generally, a weekly rain is sufficient for tulips without additional watering required.
Critters love tulips and may dig them up, but you can plant daffodils with them to repel pests.
Keep your pets away! Tulip stems and flowers are toxic to most animals.
Tulips are vulnerable to fungal diseases. Don’t buy any bulb with obvious blemishes or discoloration (even if they may be marked for clearance!).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where can I buy tulip bulbs?
We recommend buying directly from local growers or independent nurseries instead of large box stores or retailers. Small growers pay more attention to their plants. Plus, you are supporting your local community that way. At Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping, we follow a meticulous plant procurement process to ensure our clients receive the healthiest bulbs. So, if you’re unsure where to get tulip bulbs, come talk to us, and we will take care of you.
2. How long do tulips bloom?
Tulip blooms typically last between 7 and 15 days. Soil conditions, planting quality, root development, temperature, and the tulip variety all come into play. To help your tulips bloom for as long as possible, plant them in the fall so the roots can fully develop during the cooler weather.
3. Why did my tulip bulbs die?
Underwatering and overwatering are two of the most common reasons why tulip bulbs die. Make sure the soil is moist but not soggy, and reduce watering when it is cold outside. Also, don’t mistake their natural dormancy post-blooming for death. Your tulips will come back again so long you take good care of them!
Whether you live in the suburbs or within the city limits, you’ve probably seen many trees flowering over the past few weeks. Every year from early April to mid-May (the latest), flowering trees in Kansas City become a unique, colorful scene gorgeous enough to cheer anybody up on a bad day. Let’s take a look at 6 of the most common flowering trees in Kansas City and learn about their names and properties.
Color
Flower
Blooming Months
Crabapple
White or different shades of pink
5 petals; some may have double & semidouble (6-10 or more) flowers
April & May
Redbud
Pink or purple
Small clusters of 4-petaled T-shape flower
Early March through late April
Dogwood
White or pink with a colored tip
4 petals, diamond shape
April & May
Magnolia
White, yellow, pink
Large flowers with six or more pointy petals
From later spring to summer spending on variety
Serviceberry
White
Small, five-petaled flowers
Late April or May
Ornamental Cherry
White or Pink
Five petals with a small split at each one’s tip. Hexagon shaped.
Did you know that there are a total of 25 types of crabapple trees that can be found in the US? If we count the variations, the number can easily go over 47! Crabapple flowers usually have five petals. However, Coralbust crabapples have double or semi-double flowers that can sometimes have more than 10 petals. Crabapple flowers are usually pink, white, or dusty pink. They typically bloom in April and May.
Loose Park on the plaza, included in our list of family-friendly activities in Kansas City, features several crabapple trees throughout various areas. Can you count how many different types there are?
Although they’re called “Redbud,” the flowers are usually pink or purple. When Redbud trees are in full bloom, they look like a floating flower cloud. Redbuds are native to North American and flowers bloom on the branches in small clusters.
A variation of the same plant, called Whitebud because of its white flowers, can also be seen in Kansas City. Both trees bloom from early March through late April. Come May, you’ll find the ground covered with fallen flowers after the rain. Romantic, isn’t it?
Flowering dogwood, Missouri’s state tree, is also a popular early blooming perennial tree used in landscaping. Dogwood is resilient and can adapt to various weather conditions as long as there is enough water, which Kansas City is never short of. Most dogwood trees are 15 to 30 feet tall, but some can grow up to 50 feet.
Dogwood flowers are usually white with red tips or pink with white tips. They have four petals and open into a diamond shape. Dogwoods bloom from April through May and are often seen in people’s front yards.
Magnolia’s magnificent bloom and elegant figures make it a classic choice for many homeowners. Naturally, it is one of the most common flowering trees you’d see around Kansas City. Magnolia flowers can have single or double flowers with 6 to 10 petals on average. The color can be different shades of pink, white, and yellow.
There are several species of magnolias you’ll see locally, such as Saucer, Jane, Ann, and Royal Star magnolias. Different varieties bloom at different times. For example, Royal Stars can bloom in late winter, whereas Jane and Ann bloom in late spring to early summer. The flower of some species can reach 12” when in full bloom!
Serviceberry is a native flowering tree in Kansas City that presents small, white, five-petaled flowers. The flowers often emerge before or at the same time as the leaves do. That said, the best time to enjoy its beautiful white flowers is late April to early May. The actual berries are also edible, either consumed directly or turned into jams and preserves.
It’s difficult to find a more romantic flowering tree in Kansas City than the ornamental cherry or the flowering cherry trees. The fleetingness and delicacy of cherry blossoms have made them the symbol of young, fragile love, and their influence has long radiated out of their country, Japan.
Most ornamental cherries in Kansas City will have white and light pink flowers, although some may have a darker pink. Most ornamental cherry trees bloom in March or April, and only last one to two weeks. If you’ve missed the season this year, you’d better mark the calendar for 2026.
Are you trying to add some vibrance to your porch? A winter flower pot would be a great option. With some proper care, your pot will last through the colder season and adorn your porch and patio with some much-needed colors to brighten up your days.
Stick with Evergreens
Evergreens are a classic option for winter plant arrangements. With proper wilt-proof, evergreen pots can last up to eight weeks. You can also combine your pot with other smaller hardy bushes to combine different heights and textures for your pot.
Sprinkle in Early Blooming Perennials
Another idea is to add early-blooming perennials to your pot so you can capture the first breath of color before spring arrives. Plants such as creeping phlox and snowdrops can also be lined around the bottom of your pot to add some colorful accents.
Add Ornaments
Holiday ornaments are always a great addition to your winter pots even after the Christmas season has passed. There also plenty of general winter ornaments like snowflakes and snow garlands. If you celebrate Lunar New Year, you can even find some lovely Asian ornaments.
A Mix of Real and Fake Plants
Consider mixing real and fake plants in your pot, especially if you are going after a specific aesthetic. Worry not: there are plenty of quality imitation plants that will go well with a natural winter pot.
Use Metallic Accents
Metallic accents are another good option to spice up your winter pot. Gold, silver, and even bronze accents would significantly light up your winter pots. For example, fake silver branches or gold branches can add more depth to an all-evergreen pot. You can also find decorative rocks that have a metallic gleam to cover the soil of your pot.
Install Plant Lights
Proper lighting inside your flower pot can bring more focus to your beautifully arranged pots on darker days. They also allow you to enjoy a peaceful time around your plants at night. Plus, it is always a nice sight to see your pots lit up as you drive home during the late hours. Quality plant lights cost approximately $45 to $60 per pot.
Spruce Up the Containers
Get creative and think outside the box! While you can stick with proper outdoor flower pots, you can also upcycle other objects to create unique art pieces. For example, ever thought about putting plants into old, broken furniture? You can also paint and decorate your flower pots with trinkets and patterns to make them more fun!
Love browsing through colorful garden designs, but limited by the space available at home? Here are 8 flower garden designs for small spaces that will brighten up your yard without taking up too much room.
Photo from Unsplash
Raised Flower Beds
Raised flower beds can be built in areas where a regular, in-ground flower bed may not be feasible. You can determine the sizes and shapes of these boxes. Raised garden beds also add some rustic charm to your landscape. In addition to raised flower beds, you can also use stock tanks to create a mini flower or vegetable garden.
Photo: Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping
Sloped Designs
If you have existing stairs and slopes in your landscape, you can add a mini flower garden at the bottom of each slope. This will bring some color to the plain stairs. You can also build flower beds utilizing retaining walls if your home sits on a hilly top with steps leading down to the sidewalk.
Photo from Unsplash
Curved Gardens
Curved flower gardens are flexible and pleasing to the eye. They can be installed along paver walkways or stepping stones and work great for smaller spaces with a more compact landscape layout.
Photo: Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping
Container Gardens
The biggest advantage of container gardens is convenience. You don’t have to worry about planting flowers into the soil, which means you can place containers on paved grounds. You can use practically anything you want as a container, as long as you add drainage holes to the bo
If you can’t find any dedicated areas to build a flower bed, look under trees. All you need to do is remove any grass or weeds, add new mulch, and then add some sort of edging. Voila, you have a perfect flower bed for plants that will thrive in partial to full shade.
Photo: Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping
Focus on One Centerpiece
When it comes to garden design for small spaces, often, less is more. Focus on one centerpiece: a dwarf fruit tree, a clipped hedge with a unique geometrical shape, or a small water feature. Then, build your flower garden around to compensate for the view.
Photo from Unsplash
Vertical Designs
Vertical flower gardens can significantly compensate for the space restriction in your yard. Utilize railings and decorative arches to grow ivy, wisteria, rose vines, and grapes. You can also lead various vines, such as decorative ivy, up your exterior wall.
Photo: Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping
Immersive Flower Gardens
If you have a small yard, why not turn the whole area into a flower garden? That way, you don’t need to worry about separating flowers from the rest of your landscape. You can also add picnic chairs and other outdoor furniture for a more dynamic design.
Photo: Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping
Maintaining Your Flower Garden
Regular and proper maintenance is key to keeping your flower garden vibrant and healthy. Some easy maintenance tasks you can do yourself include pulling out weeds, removing debris, regular watering, and fertilizing. For seasonal landscaping tasks like bush trimming, cutting back perennials before spring, or overall plant care, it’s best to hire a property care professional.
Are you ready? Try one of theses flower garden designs for small spaces and let us know which one is your favorite!
Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Whether you’re preparing a bouquet for your own mom, a mother figure, a pet mom, or even a mom who’d recently lost their child, a thoughtful bouquet can never go wrong. Learn about the meanings behind these 8 flowers you can get for Mother’s Day and craft a beautiful bouquet!
Known as the official mother’s day flower, carnations are a classic option to get for your mom. Pink carnation, particularly, is a representation of your gratitude to someone who has shown you immense support and kindness in your life. Red carnation, with its more passionate power, symbolizes love and courage. Finally, white carnation is often given as a prayer for good fortune.
Tulips represent perfect love and affection, making them a brilliant choice to honor a mother’s unconditional love. Red and pink tulips are closely related to passion and love, and yellow tulips convey cheerfulness.
It’s also a good idea to gift your mom some tulips if you’ve had a rough relationship with her, as it shows that you acknowledge that your mom tried her best to love you in the way she knew how. Particularly, white tulips symbolize forgiveness.
Image from Pixabay
Iris
Iris is God’s messenger in Greek mythology. In modern times, irises are associated with respect and honor. Different color of irises represent different meanings and blessings. For example, blue irises stand for faith and hope. White and yellow irises are for courage and boldness (perfect for the lady boss mom). Black irises symbolize mystery and wisdom.
Gladiolus, known for its tall, majestic appearance, is a flower of respect and honor. They are amazing additions to any bouquet because they can add more depth and height to the structure. They are also perfect if you want to pay tribute to a motherly figure or a female mentor. Gladiolus symbolizes strength of character, honor, and integrity. Its root, “gladius,” means “sword” in Latin.
Don’t let chamomile’s humble look trick you. These flowers represent endurance and perseverance after hardship. While chamomiles may not stand on their own as a full bouquet, they’re perfect to add some accent to any bouquet featuring bold colors and larger blooms. Plus, you can save them for tea later.
Gerbera daisy stands for childlike innocence, wonders, and admiration. Specific meanings by colors are listed below:
Red Gerbera: fiery love
Pink Gerbera: grace and gratitude
Orange Gerbera: you are my sunshine
Yellow Gerbera: positivity and true friendship
White Gerbera: innocence and purity
There is also a hidden meaning in gifting someone three gerbera daisies: unconditional love and a new beginning. If the person receiving your bouquet has just had a rough patch in life, giving them three gerbera daisies can convey your sincere wish for them to have a fresh start.
Elegant, timeless, classic. White lilies are the queen of flowers. White lilies also carry spiritual meanings. For example, they are associated with Virgin Mary (thus purity) in Christianity, but refer to goddesses Hera (Zeus’ Queen) and Venus (Goddess of Love and Beauty) in mythology. If you honor your mom like a Queen, gift her a white lily bouquet. That will surely make her day.
Blue hyacinth can add a charming highlight to any bouquet thanks to its bold, highly saturated color. The flower is connected with the throat chakra, representing a desire to communicate. Since blue hyacinth grew from the blood of Apollo’s lover in Greek mythology, they are also sometimes associated with loss, grief, and mourning. If your mom is no longer with you, bring some blue hyacinth to her resting place. Or, if you want to comfort a friend who’d recently lost a child, blue hyacinth will be a kind gesture for sure.
Have Your Mother’s Day Flower Delivered
Don’t have a flower shop near you? Let us bring some hardy annual colors for Mother’s Day to your doorstep. With our seasonal flower service, you will always have the perfect flowers for every important holiday. Plant them in your garden or keep them potted. Clip the bloom to make a bouquet and make your mom feel special.
Perennials are sure-safe additions to your garden thanks to their robust vitality, sophisticated color and forms, and the fact that you only need to plant them once. If you’d like to add some spring colors to your home sooner this year, here are 9 early blooming perennials to add to your garden before spring is in full swing in Kansas City.
Bleeding heart got its name from its pink, heart-shaped flowers and the white-and-red droplet-like petal that extends out of the pointy bottom. The flowers line up on a stem and hang over an arch shape, making them a beautiful garden liner in early spring.
Bleeding hearts do best in partial shade and reach up to 3 inches when fully mature. They do best in moist, well-drained soil and thrive in cool-to-warm weather that’s between 55 and 75 ºF. Most bleeding hearts bloom in early spring with some variations blooming in mid- to late- spring.
Columbine is a popular perennial for its design versatility. After all, the plant comes with 60 to 70 species of variations! These star-shaped, dual-color flowers produce a light, elegant appearance. The most common columbines have blue petals on the outer ring and white petals in the center. Other common variations can be pink, red, smoky rose, and yellow.
Columbines do best in cooler conditions and should be planted in partial sun to full shade. They are fairly hardy and can tolerate a range of climate conditions, making them perfect for Kansas City’s spring temperature fluctuation, heavy wind, and storms. Fully mature columbines can reach 12 to 36 inches and bloom through spring and into early summer.
When daffodils bloom, spring arrives. These resilient, bright flowers are one of the most commonly seen early blooming perennials in Kansas City. Daffodils are drought-tolerant and do best in full sun. They are prone to rotting, so make sure you have well-drained soil around and prevent planting them where water tends to gather and pool.
Daffodils bloom once a year in late winter or early spring. The most common daffodils you may see around Kansas City are Narcissus “Baby Boomer”, a type of miniature daffodil that yields 6 to 8 small, golden flowers that are about 1.5 inches across.
Hyacinths bloom around the same time as daffodils in early to mid-spring. Each bulb typically yields one stem that reaches 8 to 10 inches when fully mature. On top of the stem, a flower cluster forms a cone shape. Most hyacinths come with pink, purple, or blue flowers with six pointy petals. A popular variation, called grape hyacinth, have round, blue-purple flowers that look like clusters of berries.
Plant hyacinth in full sun with the proper interval to get the largest flowers and straightest stems. However, they will still grow and bloom in partial shade. Like most early-blooming perennials, hyacinth thrives in well-drained soil.
Primroses are winter-hardy plants that can tolerate snow and low temperatures, making them the perfect early blooming perennials to add to your garden while Kansas City weather decides if it wants to be warm and cozy or bone-chilling cold with a hint of blizzard.
Primroses thrive in partial shade. A great spot to plant them would be under a tree where the sun shines through the branches and leaves. They prefer moist, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. Primroses bloom in late winter to early summer, depending on species.
Fun fact: Missouri has its own native primrose, called the Missouri Evening Primrose. They yield bright, 4-petaled, yellow flowers that can reach up to 4 inches wide.
Peonies are loved by many homeowners thanks to their luxurious, extravagant look. They also come in many different colors, making them the perfect centerpiece for anybody’s front yard.
Peonies need a lot of sunlight to grow, so they prefer to be planted under full sun. While some varieties can tolerate partial shade, the flowers still need sufficient sunlight to bloom fully. Most peonies can reach 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide with some that can reach 7 feet in both directions, so leave plenty of room in between when planting them.
Peonies bloom in late spring to early summer, and the flowers only last 8 to 10 days — enjoy the view while they last!
If you are looking for an early-blooming perennial shrub that can add some color close to the ground, try creeping phlox. Creeping phlox is a needle-like foliage that forms a blanket of five-petal flowers when it matures. The most common creeping phlox has pink flowers. Other popular varieties have lavender, white, red, and blueish purple flowers.
Creeping phlox can grow to 4 to 6 inches tall and spread up to 2 feet. It should be planted under full sun where the plant can receive 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. Routine watering is key to keeping your creeping phlox alive and happy, especially during the first year of planting.
Snowdrops are another great option that will thrive through Kansas City’s lingering winter weather. They bloom in late winter to early spring, or sometimes in mid-spring. As the name suggests, snowdrops create white, drooping flowers that point downward. They are great additions for those looking to develop a cottage/woodland aesthetics in their yard.
Snowdrops should be planted in partial shade with well-draining soil. Most bulbs begin to root within a week or two, but you won’t see any real activity until it’s closer to blooming time. Also, snowdrops takes a year to become established, so you might see few flowers during the first year. Just remember that your patience will be rewarded!
Looking to catch up with the native plant landscaping trend? Add some blue false indigo to your yard. This early blooming perennial is native to Missouri and the Midwest. Blue false indigo is a large, upright bush with long strings of indigo-blue flowers that bloom as early as April.
Blue false indigos live for a long time but grow slowly and take a year to mature. But they will thrive through Kansas City’s freezing winter and scorching summer. Once mature, these early-blooming perennials can reach 4 to 5 feet in height and width. Plant them in full sun or partial shade after the frost season.
Where to Buy Perennials
Your local hardware store and large retailers usually have perennials on sale, such as potted plants or roots. You may also find some online plant stores that will ship you bulbs in the mail.
But your easiest option would be signing up for our seasonal flower subscription. Our horticulture experts will design, source, and plant your containers for you based on your choices of palettes and container design styles. We will deliver your pots with fresh potting soil and fertilizer. You can keep them in the container or plant them in your garden.
Should You Hire a Pro?
Since most perennial bulbs come with planting instructions, it wouldn’t be too challenging for you to plant them yourself in the garden. However, if you don’t want to get your hands messy, hiring a local landscaping company is always the best option.
Working with a pro also allows you to bundle up other spring landscaping tasks into one project to get your front yard up to speed for the new year. Does that sound like something you need to do? Book a consultation with us today, and let’s get your front yard going for spring.
