Tulipa Avant Garde- Double Early Tulip

The 'Avant Garde' Double Early Tulip features a classic tulip shape, cup-shaped, which can flare out to resemble a rose. With a soft and pale lemon colour diluted with cream, its inner petals are slightly touched with yellow. They are arranged in overlapping layers, giving the flower a lush and full appearance. Medium-sized, carried by a sturdy stem, it enlivens borders and bouquets after the flowering of early single tulips.

The 'Avant Garde' Double Early Tulip belongs to the Liliaceae family. Of horticultural origin, introduced in 2019, it is currently classified in the group of double early tulips, whose main characteristic is to flower at the same height, making it a popular category among enthusiasts of well-organised borders. The 'Avant Garde' Double Early Tulip has a medium height, reaching about 40 centimetres (16 inches) in height. Its sturdy and straight stems gracefully support the magnificent flowers, which emerge above the dark green lanceolate foliage. Its slightly elongated cup-shaped flowers are a beautiful cream yellow colour, just touched with a bolder yellow on the inside. Flowering occurs in April, in the heart of the tulip season. Its flowering period is relatively short but intense. Each flower generally measures between 8 and 10 centimetres (3 and 4 inches) in diameter.

Like most tulips, the 'Avant Garde' Double Early Tulip prefers well-drained and sunny soils. These tulips are known to be hardy and easy to grow, making them perfect for beginner gardeners. They are among the most commonly used varieties for cut flowers, so plant a few extra to fill your vases. They make beautiful potted displays and harmonise well with other spring bulbs. They can be combined with hyacinths, daffodils, or grape hyacinths to create stunning floral arrangements. They are also beautiful when planted in borders or mass plantings, paired with other tulips in darker colours, such as the Nachtwacht Double Early Tulip in purple and soft yellow. Finally, associate them with perennials that hide their faded foliage, such as perennial geraniums, euphorbias, and carex grasses.

About botanical species: Wild tulips are found from Western Europe to China and Japan, including Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia. Their distribution range also includes North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The centre of diversity for the genus is located in the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains and the steppes of Kazakhstan.

In Europe, there are various wild species, many of which are endangered. They are either large adventive tulips from cultivated fields, the most well-known being the Agen tulip (Tulipa agenensis), or small tulips found in wooded areas or on rocky slopes in the mountains. In cultivation, they are called "botanical tulips," and one of the most common is the wood tulip (Tulipa sylvestris), which used to often grow under grapevines and whose subspecies australis is known as the southern tulip.