It’s a mid-spring morning, and the tulips along the front walk have just opened. Up close, each one shows three colors at once: a white base, candy-pink edges and flames of blue, all on unusual purple stems.
Showgirl stands a moderate 16 to 18 inches, which is why it belongs at the front of a border, where the detail can be admired. Snip a few stems and there’s a bouquet with real personality; this variety is prized as a cut flower.
Plant them in full sun to partial shade in zones 3 through 8. Twenty bulbs edge a short run of path, and 40 fill a border with plenty left for cutting. By evening, some of them have found their way indoors.
