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There is nothing more lovely than to give flower bulbs as a gift at fall events like weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, private parties, memorials, school or family reunions, and corporate meetings.
Flower bulbs are a perfect present: not only are they environmentally friendly, they will create beauty, magic and memories in the spring gardens of your guests. Spring flower bulbs are an eternal symbol of hope and rebirth. Gifts of flower bulbs are like a double present: a gift at the time of the event, and a gift at bloom time!
For late fall and mid-winter gifts of indoor bulbs, Amaryllis bestow huge colorful flowers, and Paperwhites yield sweetly fragrant, delicate white flowers. You may choose from Christmas Flowering Amaryllis bulbs (available for shipment late September), Royal Dutch Hybrid Amaryllis (available for shipment mid October) and our Art & Soul of Winter Gift Box Amaryllis and Paperwhites (available for shipment mid October).
When placing your order, make sure to tell us the event date and by which date you would like to receive your flower bulbs so that you may repackage them in advance.
Varieties for Early Shipment Starting after Labor Day
The following varieties are available for early shipment through Van Engelen immediately after Labor Day. Our first seven early containers are expected here from their Atlantic Ocean crossing that week! Our entire collection is available for shipment in late September after each variety is received in our warehouse from the Netherlands. (Please note that Dutch Amaryllis, Eremurus, Lilies, Peonies and Van Engelen's discounted Collections are available for shipment in mid-October.)
When deciding which variety you would like to give as a present, consider the color, per bulb price, horticultural hardiness and size of each bulb. Bulb size is important as it relates to the number of bulbs that can fit in the package you intend to use. Please note that bulb size is a measurement of circumference around the widest girth of the bulb, not left to right.
If you need help selecting a variety, just give us a call. We would be happy to help you.
Allium aflatunense Purple Sensation: One of the most cost-effective Allium, rabbit-, rodent- and deer-resistant Purple Sensation has 4"- to 5"-wide, violet-purple globes comprised of dozens of starry florets. Adored by bees, butterflies and pollinators, it has become a garden essential in borders, remarkable drifts and cut flower arrangements. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: May/June. Horticultural zone hardiness:: 4-8. Height: 24" to 30". (We are very sorry, but due to state agricultural restrictions, we are not permitted to ship Allium bulbs to Idaho, or to the following five counties in the State of Washington: Adams, Benton, Franklin, Grant and Klickitat.) Available in units of 100. Order now.
Crocus tomassinianus Barr’s Purple: This early-blooming Species Crocus has six-petaled, rich amethyst-violet flowers with a paler interior, golden-orange anthers and grass-like foliage with narrow, median silvery stripes. Its graceful 4" tall flowers open and close on sunny days in early spring. The small bulbs have a finely reticulated tunic. It is often said that varieties of Crocus tomassinianus are less likely to be dug up, and replanted or eaten by squirrels. You’ll need about nine bulbs per square foot. Bulb size: 5 cm/up. Full to partial sunlight. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: late March/early April. Plant 4" deep and 3" to 4" apart. Horticultural zone hardiness: 4-8. Height: 4". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Anemone blanda Blue Shades: Native to Greece circa 1854, Blue Shades yields happy little daisy-like, shades of hyacinth-blue flowers with yellow centers on wiry stems above fern-like foliage. Commonly known as the Grecian Windflower, this deer- and rodent- resistant naturalizer prefers to be planted in organically rich, well-draining soil in full to partial sunlight. Bulb size: 5 cm/up. Full to partial sunlight. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: April/May. Plant 4" deep and 3" to 4" apart. HZ: 5-9. Height: 4". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Big Love: The huge flowers of Big Love are glistening dusky-pink with a lilac sheen, an interior white-encircled heart of gold accented by variable steel-blue flames and garnet-blushed stems. Plant them in well-draining soil, and in full to partial sunlight. They make good cut flowers too. You’ll need about four bulbs per square foot. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: late April/May. Plant 6” to 8” deep and 6” apart. Horticultural zone hardiness: 3-7. Height: 22”. Available in units of 100. Order now.
Fringed Tulip Lambada: Named for a Brazilian dance, this 1991 award-winning garden wake-up-call is coral-red to apricot-rose to Chinese-yellow toward its wildly fringed petal edges. The inside of the flower is warm delft-rose blending to maize-yellow. Tulip Class: Fringed (or Crispa). Bulb size: 12 cm/up. May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 20". Available in units of 50. Order now.
Peony Flowering Tulip Blue Spectacle: Blue Spectacle is an irresistible beauty with deep violet-purple flowers tinged with a blue sheen. It appears to change hue from full sun to filtered sunlight to dappled shade. It is a fully double, puffy flower that really resembles the flower of a double Herbaceous Peony. It pales as it matures. Tulip Class: Peony Flowering (Double Late). Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Late April. HZ: 3-7. Height: 20". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Lily Flowering Tulip Green Star: This phenomenal hybrid has bold green flames that are more prominent than many Viridiflora Tulips. It opens chartreuse-white with verdant green flames backlit lemon-yellow, and matures to bright white with green flames and yellow accents. Its tapered petals extend into outstretched arcs like choreographed starbursts. Plant them in well-draining soil, and in full to partial sunlight. They make good cut flowers too. You’ll need about four bulbs per square foot. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: May. Plant 6” to 8” deep and 6” apart. Horticultural zone hardiness: 3-7. Height: 16" to 18". Available in units of 50. Order now.
Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Salmon Impression: Salmon Impression is a warm, suffuse blend of salmon, apricot and pink with pale marble-pink petal edges and a beguiling interior steel-blue base. It opens more apricot and pinks up as it matures. We've paired it with Tulips Apricot Impression, Big Chief, Daydream and Pink Impression in companion plantings, and cannot decide which pairings we like the best. They are all beautiful mates. Tulip Class: Giant Darwin Hybrid. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Late April/May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 20" to 22". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Lily Flowering Tulip Ballade Lady: This romantic Ballade and Elegant Lady cross is silvery-white and pale pink with deeper rose-pink flushes and a white-edged yellow base. Tulip Class: Lily Flowering. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Bloom time: May. Horticultural zones 3-7. Plant 6" to 8" deep and 6" apart. Height: 22". Available in units of 50. Order now.
Lily Flowering Tulip Purple Dream: Purple Dream has large chalice-like flowers with reflexed, pointed petals of deep purple with a hazy blue flush and an ivory-white base. It is wonderful paired with Lily Flowering Tulip Elegant Lady. Tulip Class: Lily Flowering. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 22" to 24". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Single Late Tulip Maureen: Maureen is one of the most highly awarded Scheepers hybrids and with good reason. It is of perfect form, with oval or chalice-shaped flowers that open pale yellow, and mature to bright, glistening marble-white. Plant them in well-draining soil, and in full to partial sunlight. They make good cut flowers too. You’ll need about four bulbs per square foot. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: late May. Plant 6” to 8” deep and 6” apart. Horticultural zone hardiness: 3-8. Height: 28". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Single Late Tulip Rhapsody of Smiles: Registered by W. van Lierop & Zonen in 2011, this shapely Big Smile sport is a luscious blend of yellows and reds with variable flames, flushes and stripes. Plant them in well-draining soil, and in full to partial sunlight. They make good cut flowers too. You’ll need about four bulbs per square foot. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: May. Plant 6” to 8” deep and 6” apart. Horticultural zone hardiness: 3-8. Height: 16" to 18". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Red Impression: This jewel-toned ruby beauty is varying shades of ruby-red and delft-rose with an exterior plum-purple base and a blood-red interior with a black base ringed in canary-yellow. Its buds develop as two-tone beauties with paler cheeks blushed chartreuse before they turn deep red. Red Impression is eye-poppyingly gorgeous blended with its sibling, Pink Impression. It's also lovely in bouquets with Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulips Akebono, Banja Luka and Golden Parade and Triumph Tulip Suncatcher. A sport of Pink Impression, Red Impression delivers huge bang for the buck. Tulip Class: Giant Darwin Hybrid. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Late April/May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 20" to 22". Available in units of 100. Order now.
Triumph Tulip Grand Perfection: Opening soft yellow with crimson-red flames, it matures to ivory-white with flamboyant ruby-red flames. Included in our Rembrandt Tulip Mixture, this healthy bloom mimics the look of 17th century broken tulips that were infected by the Mosaic Virus. Registered in 1999, it received the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. Triumph Tulips are known to be good for forcing. Please see the Tulip Forcing Tips below. Tulip Class: Triumph. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. April/May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 16” to 18”. Available in units of 100. Order now.
Packaging
The best way to present a gift of flower bulbs is to repackage them in Chinese food boxes, tulle fabric bundles, paper gift bags or even regular paper lunch bags with holes punched in the sides. Each container can be tailored to the event with hanging gift tags, product label stickers and raffia or ribbon, in colors corresponding to the event. There are numerous online sites through which you can easily create labels or gift tags on which to commemorate the event and identify the flower bulb with brief planting instructions. Check out www.evermine.com for personally designed labels and www.papermart.com for gift bags and ribbons.
These types of packaging provide the living flower bulbs with good air ventilation until your guests can bring them home and plant them at the proper time for their area. Regardless of the event date, flower bulbs should not be planted until the ground chills down to around 55°F (after about two weeks of night time temperatures hovering in the 40s). When you place your order, you may ask us to mail you our Horticultural Tips brochure in advance of order receipt so you can prepare your packaging with planting tips. Or, you may use the online horticultural tips detailed for each variety.
Flower Bulb Receipt and Inspection
When you receive your order from us, open the exterior carton and interior cartons and inspect the bulbs. Keep them in a cool, dry spot (50° to 70°F) with good air circulation out of direct sunlight until just prior to repackaging the bulbs before the event. Once repackaged, again store the bulbs in a cool, dry spot with good air circulation. When you arrange the bulb packages for distribution at your event, it's best to keep them in a spot separate from place settings even though they are clean and safe.
