Tulipa 'Love Whisper' is a beautiful double tulip producing romantic, peony-like blooms in a wonderful mixture of pink shades, ranging from soft blush and pale rose through to much deeper pink.
Flowering around mid-April and reaching approximately 50cm tall, 'Love Whisper' makes an impressive addition to spring borders and containers. The variation between individual flowers gives a mass planting a wonderfully natural appearance, while the substantial double blooms also make excellent cut flowers.
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Height: around 50cm
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Spread: 10–15cm
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Flower colour: pale pink to deep rose
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Flowering time: mid-April
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Flower type: double
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Position: full sun
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Soil: fertile, well-drained soil
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Suitable for: borders, containers and cutting
About Tulipa 'Love Whisper'
Tulipa 'Love Whisper' is particularly attractive for the variation found amongst its flowers. Rather than producing blooms in one completely uniform shade, the flowers display different intensities of pink, creating a beautiful mixture when several bulbs are planted together.
Some blooms open in delicate blush and pale rose tones, while others develop much richer pink colouring. Individual petals may also display contrasting areas of light and dark pink, giving each flower its own character.
The blooms are double, with numerous overlapping petals producing a full, rounded shape. As the flowers open, they develop an increasingly paeony-like appearance and provide plenty of texture amongst simpler spring flowers.
Fresh green foliage provides an effective backdrop for the pink blooms, while the upright stems lift the flowers to around 50cm above the ground.
A Beautiful Double Tulip
The densely layered flowers are one of the main attractions of 'Love Whisper'. Double tulips have many more petals than conventional single varieties, creating substantial blooms that make a strong impression even when relatively few bulbs are planted.
For the best effect, however, plant 'Love Whisper' generously. A group of bulbs allows the full range of pale pink, rose and deeper shades to mingle together, producing a varied display rather than a solid block of colour.
Flowering in mid-April, it provides plenty of colour during the heart of the spring bulb season.
Benefits for UK Wildlife
Like other densely double tulips, Tulipa 'Love Whisper' is primarily grown for its ornamental flowers. The numerous overlapping petals can make pollen and nectar more difficult for visiting insects to access than in single-flowered varieties.
For a more wildlife-friendly spring display, combine it with open-flowered bulbs such as crocuses, muscari and species tulips, providing easier feeding opportunities for spring pollinators.
Where to Grow Tulipa 'Love Whisper'
- Spring borders
- Cottage gardens
- Patio pots and containers
- Formal bedding schemes
- Cut flower gardens
- Mixed spring bulb displays
The varying pink tones make 'Love Whisper' particularly easy to combine with other spring flowers. White, cream and pale pink varieties will create a soft pastel scheme, while purple and burgundy flowers provide a stronger contrast.
It is also an excellent tulip for containers. Plant several bulbs together in a large pot and the subtle differences between the flowers can be appreciated at close range.
Planting Tips
- Plant bulbs during autumn, ideally in October or November.
- Choose a sunny position with fertile, well-drained soil.
- Plant approximately 10–15cm deep.
- Space bulbs around 10cm apart.
- Plant in generous groups to showcase the varying shades.
- Avoid ground that remains waterlogged during winter.
The substantial double flowers can become heavy after prolonged rain, so a position with some shelter from strong winds can help keep the plants looking their best.
Once flowering has finished, remove faded blooms but allow the leaves and stems to die back naturally. The foliage will continue feeding the bulbs while it remains green.
Excellent for Pots
Tulipa 'Love Whisper' works particularly well in patio containers, where its mixture of pink shades can create an impressive display from a relatively small planting area.
For a coordinated container, combine it with white or pale pink spring bulbs. Alternatively, grow 'Love Whisper' alone and plant the bulbs closely enough to produce a generous mass of double flowers.
Beautiful for Cutting
The full, layered blooms are also excellent for cutting. Their varying pink shades work particularly well in relaxed spring arrangements, either alone or mixed with white, cream and contrasting darker flowers.
Cut the stems when the buds are showing plenty of colour but have not yet completely opened. The blooms will continue to expand indoors, gradually developing their characteristic full, paeony-like shape.
Why Grow Tulipa 'Love Whisper'
- Beautiful fully double flowers
- Colours vary from pale pink to deep rose
- Attractive paeony-like blooms
- Flowers around mid-April
- Reaches approximately 50cm tall
- Excellent for borders and containers
- Superb as a cut flower
- Particularly effective planted in groups
With its generous double flowers and beautiful variation in colour, Tulipa 'Love Whisper' creates a softer and more varied display than a single-coloured tulip. From delicate blush pink through to deeper rose, its peony-like blooms bring plenty of colour and te
