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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 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.
Crocus vernus Pickwick: Pickwick has six-petaled, shimmering pale silver-lilac flowers with showy, dark lilac stripes, orange anthers and grass-like foliage with narrow, median silver-white stripes. Its graceful 5" tall flowers open and close on sunny days. These larger corms have reticulated tunics. Crocus Class: Dutch Large Flowering. Bulb size: 9 cm/up. Full to partial sunlight. Bloom time in horticultural zone 5: April. Plant 5" deep and 4" apart. HZ: 4-8. Height: 5". Available in uints of 100. (D3118) Order now.
Triumph Tulip Apricot Beauty: One of the most popular tulips of all time, this lightly scented favorite is soft salmon-rose overlaid with light apricot edges and a pale green star at its base. This beguiling beauty varies in pink or apricot color intensity in different levels of sunlight and at different points during its blooming period. Triumph Tulips are known to be good for forcing. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. April/May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 18". Available in units of 50. (T5026) Order now.
Triumph Tulip Beautytrend: This surprising trend-setter opens creamy-white with rose-pink petal edges. As it matures, the rose-pink edge spreads throughout the flower: it becomes pale silvery-pink with deeper rose-pink striations and speckles. It seems to look different every day! Fall 2024 harvest bulb size: 12 cm/up. Bloom time: April/May. Horticultural zones 3-7. Plant 6" to 8" deep and 6" apart. Height: 20". Available in units of 50. (T5070) Order now.
Multi-flowering Tulip Happy Family: Multi-flowering, or bouquet-flowering, Tulips produce at least four, full-sized flowers per stem. They make for a full garden display as well as lush cut flower arrangements. Happy Family is lustrous rose-pink with slightly paler petal edges. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. May. HZ: 3-8. Height: 20". Available in units of 50. (T5406) Order now.
Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Kunyun: Kunyun has an ivory-white base gradually topped fuchsia-pink with apricot-gold-highlighted petal edges. Its interior has a mellow yellow base progressively topped apricot-pink. It matures to yellow with raspberry flushes. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Late April/May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 22". Available in units of 100. (T5446) 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. Blooming later than most Scheepers hybrids, it is the perfect mate for Menton. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Late May. HZ: 3-8. Height: 28". Available in units of 50. (T5521) Order now.
Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Olympic Flame: This lauded 1971 Giant Darwin Hybrid is radiant mimosa-yellow with deep cherry-red flames and black anthers. It is both stately and flamboyant, creating an incredibly vibrant spring show. Tulip Class: Giant Darwin Hybrid. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. Mid-April to May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 22". Available in units of 100. (T5572) 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. (T5688) 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. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. May. HZ: 3-8. Height: 16" to 18". Available in units of 100. (T5731) Order now.
Triumph Tulip Rodeo Drive: Rodeo Drive has one of the largest flowers ever on incredibly strong stems. It’s just huge! Not only is it immense, but it has shapely, glowing, rich blood-red flowers with small yellow bases. Rodeo Drive shines from afar in gardens and is amazing in cut flower bouquets. Triumph Tulips are known to be good for forcing. Bulb size: 12 cm/up. April/May. HZ: 3-7. Height: 18". Available in units of 100. (T5733) 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.
