Tulip give-away as The Embankment is prepared for summer display

Bedford Borough is giving away more than 40,000 bulbs which have been flowering along the town’s river since the beginning of April.

The display, which this year featured more than 20 different tulip types including Parrot, Lily, Early Double, Triumph, Single and Darwin types, can be re-planted now ready for flowering next spring.

The bulbs are being removed to prepare the ground for the summer display and, while there is no guarantee that all the flowers will bloom again, they offer the chance for some brilliant flowering.

As the bulbs are dug up, they will be placed on the grass verge adjacent to the Butterfly Bridge, opposite Russell Park, from 10am between Wednesday, June 1, and Friday June 3.

A council spokeswoman said: “Bulbs may still have leaves and stalks attached and are not sorted into type or colour so flowering bulbs will present an interesting surprise to your garden next spring!

“The Tulip bulbs are being offered to the public free of charge; however, please be mindful of quantities you take as so that others have the same opportunity to enjoy these bulbs.”

Anyone collecting the bulbs will need to bring their own bag, or box, to carry them home.

Tulip Aftercare

To maximise the chance of your Tulips flowering again you can:

1) Plant them straight away and allow the stalks and leaves to die down naturally within the next few weeks. Thoroughly water-in and apply a liquid feed when planting them.

2) If you don’t replant now, put them in a bucket or container with an inch of water in the bottom mixed with diluted liquid feed. Remove all leaves and stalks when they die back and store the bulbs in dry conditions (not in plastic bags). Replant in the autumn.