Tulipa Pretty Love - Lily flowering Tulip

The 'Pretty Love' Tulip, aptly named, is not a shy flower: when it appears in spring, its boldly pink corolla attracts all attention. And the show lasts a long time, as its flower remains beautiful for several days, both in the garden and in a bouquet. Perched on short, sturdy stems, the flowers of 'Pretty Love' enhance the colourful mosaic formed by the other lily-flowered tulips, as they all bloom at the same time, and for several weeks. This tulip lives for many years in the garden and faithfully blooms every year.

The lily-flowered tulips were created in the early 20th century, they have retained the robustness and simplicity of their ancestor, the magnificent Tulipa acuminate. This botanical species, originally from Turkey, became extinct in the wild, but survived, in its red and yellow form, among English and Dutch enthusiasts. On the frescoes and ceramics of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, one can find all kinds of acuminate tulips, already adored at the time by the sultans. The flower, depending on whether it is open or closed, undergoes a surprising metamorphosis, changing from a spider to a lily in the span of a day.

The 'Pretty Love' lily-flowered tulip belongs to the lily family. Introduced in 2011, it is classified in division 6 of horticultural tulips. The main characteristics of this category of tulips are as follows: they bear single flowers and bloom in the second half of spring, the cups are narrow, the pointed tepals recurved at opening and open into a 8cm (3in) wide star shape. During the day, these flowers become spidery and widely open. This 'Pretty Love' variety will reach a height of about 45cm (18in) when in bloom. The flowering, like an explosion of very pink stars, takes place at the end of April or beginning of May. The foliage is quite wide, with a slightly bluish green colour, its height reaches the base of the corollas. Each solitary flower is supported by a stem that appears delicate, but is very resistant to adverse weather conditions.

Worth rediscovering, lily-flowered tulips have become rare in our gardens. The 'Pretty Love' tulip finds its place in large flower beds, and of course in bouquets. Its powerful and pure colour allows for associations with tulips in pastel tones such as white, mauve, or soft pink. This also maximizes the duration of flowering in flower beds. Pair it with hellebores and Euphorbias for surprising scenes. It can also be planted in borders, rockeries, flower beds, as well as in pots and containers. It goes perfectly with tall perennials and is ideal for creating elegant bouquets. In a vase, use very little water, a base is enough! Furthermore, if your tulips open too quickly, you can add two to three ice cubes to the vase every day.

Many varieties of lily-flowered tulips are grown for forcing and produce cut flowers for a large part of the year.

Our advice: Pair it with grape hyacinths and forget-me-nots.