October gardening tips: Plant tulips

There is such a wide variety of tulips; now is the time to decide what you want and to plant them in the garden

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Tulips come in all shapes and sizes, for use in many locations. It's now time to plant them. For container displays, choose compact cultivars of a reliable disposition such as the double pink Peach Blossom or the visually refreshing Spring Green. Plant the bulbs good and deep, and regularly spaced, in a loam-based compost, intermingled with forget-me nots if delicate sentiment is desired. In the open ground, mark the position of each bulb with a small cane before filling in with any bedding plants. It's something of a careful operation, but the results will reward your patience.

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