tulips for wedding

Hello, I am getting married next year mid May and would like to use Tulips from my own garden for my bouquet and decorations. Are there any type of tulips that flower this late (mid may) and if so what are they and how can I best make sure that they don't flower any earlier than mid may?

Doug says he doesn't know where you're gardening so he can't give you an answer. Mid-May in USDA zone 4 is going to give you a different type of tulip than mid-May in USDA 8. A mid or late season bloomer will *usually* be in bloom by then in my garden. Go with these if you're not sure.


Having said that. My best advice to you is to not count on your plants to bloom when you want them to.

I've heard of more wedding plans going off the floral rails because the garden in question bloomed when it wanted to rather than when the bride or (worse) the bride's mother didn't want it to. There's no way to slow 'em down once they start to bloom in the garden. There's no way to speed 'em up if they're late that year. You might get lucky and you might not.

I know it's not what you want to hear but here's my best advice on this. Plan on buying your floral tulip arrangements (dont' tell the florist they're for a wedding - tell them they're for a family gathering - prices always go up for weddings). Get them wherever but plan on buying the potted ones and planting them right in the pots for this one special day or using them as guest favours on tables. But don't count on your garden to pull it through for you.