Some tulips announce spring with the clear primary colors of a child's paint box. ‘Dordogne’ does something rather different. Its flowers mingle salmon, rose, apricot, orange and touches of yellow, sometimes all within the same blossom. The effect is less like a single color than a late-spring sunset captured in a tulip.
And its name carries us to one of the loveliest parts of France.
Why Is It Called ‘Dordogne’?
Dordogne is the name of both a river and a département in southwestern France, an old countryside of wooded hills, limestone cliffs, medieval villages, châteaux and river valleys. The modern département roughly corresponds to the historic province of Périgord.
The tulip itself is a Dutch introduction from the early 1990s, rather than an old French cultivar. Sources identify it as a sport of the well-known tulip ‘Menton’.
Why the breeder specifically chose the name ‘Dordogne’ is more difficult to establish. I have found no reliable original breeder's statement explaining the choice, so it would be unwise to manufacture a romantic story and pass it off as history.
Nevertheless, the geographical reference is unmistakable. Dordogne is a celebrated region of France, and the tulip's warm, mellow colors—rose, apricot, salmon and orange—certainly seem appropriate for a cultivar bearing the name of that sun-warmed landscape.
Perhaps that is as far as we ought to go. Sometimes a beautiful name and a beautiful flower are quite enough.
What Type of Tulip Is ‘Dordogne’?
‘Dordogne’ is a Single Late tulip, sometimes also described in the bulb trade as a French tulip.
Single Late tulips are among the aristocrats of the tulip garden. They tend to be tall, substantial plants with large, classically shaped flowers, blooming toward the end of tulip season.
The Royal Horticultural Society describes ‘Dordogne’ as reaching approximately 65 cm, or about 25 inches, with large goblet-shaped flowers. It is also a recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
That height is an important part of its character. This isn't a squat little tulip intended to disappear among low bedding plants. ‘Dordogne’ stands proudly above the border on long stems and makes a considerable display.
A Tulip That Refuses to Be One Color
Trying to describe the color of ‘Dordogne’ with a single word is nearly hopeless.
The flowers have been variously described as peach, apricot, salmon, rose, tangerine and orange. The RHS describes shades of tangerine and rose, with pinkish-yellow and orange outer petals and yellow within the flower.
Other growers describe the flowers as peach-apricot or pink-peach developing deeper apricot and orange tones.
And that variation is precisely its charm.
As the flowers mature and the light changes during the day, different colors become more prominent. Morning light may emphasize the salmon and pink; strong afternoon sunshine brings the orange and tangerine tones forward.
Consequently, a bed of ‘Dordogne’ never looks entirely static.
A Tulip for the End of the Season
One of the best reasons to plant ‘Dordogne’ is its late flowering period.
By the time many early and midseason tulips are fading, Single Late tulips are taking the stage. ‘Dordogne’ therefore provides a useful way to extend the tulip display toward the end of spring.
Its flowers are also noted for being long-lasting.
A well-planned tulip garden shouldn't erupt all at once and then vanish. Combining early, midseason and late varieties can stretch the performance over many weeks. ‘Dordogne’ makes an excellent finale.
Using ‘Dordogne’ in the Landscape
Because it is tall, ‘Dordogne’ is particularly useful toward the middle or rear of a flower border, where its long stems can rise through lower-growing plants.
It can also be planted in dedicated bulb beds, cottage gardens, formal borders and large containers. The RHS recommends it for beds, borders, containers and cutting gardens.
For the strongest landscape effect, don't plant three bulbs here and another three ten feet away.
Plant them generously.
A group of 10 will provide a pleasant accent. Twenty-five begin to make a statement. Fifty or more planted in broad drifts can create a magnificent wash of warm color.
Because the individual flowers contain several related shades, a large planting develops considerable depth. From a distance the bed appears apricot-orange; closer inspection reveals rose, salmon, peach and yellow.
What Should You Plant With It?
‘Dordogne’ offers an unusually broad palette for companion planting.
For dramatic contrast, combine it with deep purple tulips, particularly late-flowering varieties. Purple makes the orange and salmon tones appear more luminous. RHS Plants similarly recommends combinations with bold purples and strong pinks.
A pairing with very dark purple or near-black tulips can be especially handsome. The dark flowers provide a visual anchor while ‘Dordogne’ supplies warmth and light.
For a softer garden, combine it with cream, ivory, pale yellow or blush pink.
It can also be planted among spring-flowering perennials. Peonies, hardy geraniums and other emerging perennials can help disguise tulip foliage as it begins to decline after flowering.
There is an old gardening virtue in that arrangement: one generation of flowers quietly hides the departure of another.
Excellent for Cutting
The tall stems and large flowers also make ‘Dordogne’ an excellent cutting tulip. Cut-flower growers value Single Late types precisely for their long, elegant stems, and ‘Dordogne’ is specifically recommended as a cut flower.
A vase of ‘Dordogne’ needs very little assistance. Its own variations of salmon, rose and orange provide almost as much color variation as a mixed bouquet.
For a particularly handsome arrangement, try it with dark purple tulips or fresh spring foliage.
Growing ‘Dordogne’
Plant the bulbs in fall in fertile, well-drained soil, preferably where they will receive plenty of sun. The RHS recommends planting tulips about 10–15 cm deep, while commercial recommendations for ‘Dordogne’ commonly run somewhat deeper, around 6–8 inches. Good drainage is particularly important because tulip bulbs resent sitting in wet soil.
Like many highly bred modern tulips, ‘Dordogne’ is best regarded primarily as a magnificent spring display rather than a bulb guaranteed to return indefinitely with equal vigor. In climates with warm winters, tulips may also require adequate winter chilling to flower properly.
For gardeners who want the most dependable display, planting fresh bulbs in autumn remains the surest course.
A Grand Finale to Tulip Season
There is something particularly satisfying about late tulips. The garden is no longer tentative. Trees are leafing out, perennials are rising, and spring has ceased merely promising what is to come.
Into that richer landscape comes ‘Dordogne’.
Tall stems carry great goblets of rose, salmon, apricot and tangerine, their colors shifting as sunlight passes across them. Plant them beside dark purple tulips and the effect can be magnificent; plant them in a great drift by themselves and they need no companion at all.
Perhaps the name was chosen simply because Dordogne sounded beautiful. Perhaps the warm colors suggested the French countryside. Unless the breeder left us an explanation, we should resist pretending to know.
But the name fits.
‘Dordogne’ is warm, elegant, colorful and just a little romantic—a fitting tulip to bring the spring bulb season to a close.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment