30 27 February 2021 | The Guardian Weekendthe old farmyard at Ulting Wick, the jewel-bright
colours of thousands of tulips appear luminous
against a backdrop of three listed black farm
buildings. After a long, sapping winter, it’s a joyous scene. “For
me, the tulips are harbingers of colour for the rest of the year,”
says Philippa Burrough , owner and creator of this glorious
Essex garden.
While many tulip lovers stagger their displays, with early-
and late-fl owering varieties, Burrough concentrates her eff orts
on three magical weeks of intense colour, usually around the
end of April. She combines a variety of planting approaches:
clashing shades, such as oranges against reds; compl ementary
colours, such as a rose pink with a creamy white and an intense
purple; and waves of colour from soft pink, to dark pink, to
purple. “There is such a range of colours with tulips, you can
almost paint with them,” she says.
Burrough grows new cultivars in pots for their fi rst year,
then carries a single fl ower around the garden, placing
it against other tulips and perennials to see what works.
Her latest combination is the intense burgundy of Tulipa
‘Gorilla’ against T. ‘Red Wing’ , a vivid red with a satin sheen.
“ Experimenting and having fun are what this garden is
all about.”
Any one who has planted so much as a bag of bulbs has
to admire the scale of this project. Before the tulips can be
planted, other plants go in, so the bulbs won’t be damaged
by subsequent digging. First, perennials: pretty fringe cups
( Tellima grandifl ora ), bronze wisps of leatherleaf sedge ( Carex
buchananii ), and maroon-fl owered dusky cranesbill ( Geranium
phaeum ‘Samobor’ ); then wallfl owers including ‘Giant Pink’
and ‘Fire King’.
Then Burrough, along with her head gardener Lou Nicholls
and – in non -Covid times – another part -time helper, plant
about 10,000 tulip bulbs each autumn. The pair work as a team:
one makes a hole with a Sneeboer long-handled bulb planter
(fi nd them at harrodhorticultural.com) , while the other pops in
a pinch of bone meal fertiliser and the bulb. “We can plant 1,400
in a morning like that,” Burrough says.Six of the best
Below, from top:
‘ Barcelona’
A v ibrant pink
‘Ballerina’ B eautiful
shape , and
very fragrant
‘Paul Scherer’ A dark
contrast to pinks
or whites
‘Spring Green’ Perfect
green and white tulip
Abu Hassan’
Enigmatic and
sophisticated
‘ Merlot’ A lovely
lily-fl owered shapeAfter the bulbs have been planted, the tulips don’t need
further care or watering. Every May, once the displays are over,
they dig them out again. “They would fl ower again each year,
but with less vigour,” says Burrough. “ I treat them as annuals ;
that way I get to try new combinations every year.” Burrough
reviews the successes and failures, makes her plans for next
year, and orders more tulips. Dahlias and tropical plants (such
as ensetes and cannas ) take the tulips’ place for the rest of
the summer before being swapped again at the end of the
growing season.
When Burrough and her husband Bryan moved from London
to this former farmhouse 25 years ago, it came with 11 acres
of land but a fairly uninspiring garden. Her much-loved
Dutch godmother kick started her tulip passion with visits
to Keukenhof , south-west of Amsterdam – one of the largest
fl ower gardens in the world, known for its tulips.
In 2001, nurserywoman and garden writer Sarah Raven came
to give a charity talk. “Her visit inspired me to get going with
bold colour ; I realised tulips would work so well here, against
the black barns. I bought 200 bulbs and it spiralled from there,”
Burrough says. She is evangelical about every aspect of the
fl ower, even its often overlooked foliage (“ It can be pleasingly
curly or quite dainty” ) and its stems, some of which fl ush with a
beautiful pink.
The spring tulips are only one of Ulting Wick’s many
highlights, among them a meadow, kitchen garden, and
native woodland. Today, Burrough is planting a border full of
miniature irises. The garden was closed to visitors for much of
2020, but Burrough is grateful that it has kept her so busy ; she
and Nicholls have kept to separate areas using their own tools.
She hopes to be able to open with the National Garden Scheme
in time for the tulips. “I think by spring, people will have been
stuck indoors for so long, they will be desperate to soak up this
joyful colour.” Subject to government guidance, Ulting Wick will be open on
25 and 30 April, 9 July, 30 August and 3 September. Visit
ngs.org.uk or ultingwickgarden.co.uk.isticated
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