Have you ever had one of those moments where you're looking at pictures in a magazine or catalogue or reading a blog and you suddenly wonder why you never appreciated a certain plant before? I had one of those when I was reading a post by Jenny of Rock Rose in which she posted photos of her clusiana tulips. I had seen pictures of it before, but these somehow struck me, and I knew I had to have them. Instead of the straight species, I planted Tulipa clusiana 'Lady Jane' 'Peppermint Stick'. And now, I'm enjoying the payoff.
'Lady Jane' 'Peppermint Stick' isn't stiff and upright. She twists and sprawls in a charmingly casual style.
'Lady Jane' 'Peppermint Stick' has a mercurial character, looking mostly red when closed.
But on blooming, the petals open wide
then wider and start to reflex, showing the inside white with a red violet heart.
Unpretentious, small and utterly charming, I am smitten.
Edited April 20, 2012 3:45 p.m.
My mistake. I could have sworn that I ordered 'Lady Jane', but I just looked at the tag, which says 'Peppermint Stick'. In my defense, I plead a nasty cold verging on bronchitis resulting in sleep deprivation. I apologize for the error.