Tulip 'La Belle Epoque'

* * * * * Based on 14 reviews
You won't find any other tulip like this, the most incredible colour – coffee mousse, flushed with pink, with double flowers which last for weeks. I really love it. More
15 bulbs 260860-15 £16.50

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30 bulbs 260860-30 £30.95

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You won't find any other tulip like this, the most incredible colour – coffee mousse, flushed with pink, with double flowers which last for weeks. I really love it.

Our tulip bulbs are the best and biggest we can find, from tried and trusted growers. Don't forget that tulips like to be planted late in October and November with the colder weather, and need a little watering if planted in pots.

This can be gift wrapped in our exclusive hessian sack, with ribbon and a Sarah Raven gift card. You will be able to add this to your basket once you begin the checkout process. To add a gift message to your order, simply fill out the details at the delivery stage of the checkout.

Please note: only items which are showing ‘in stock’ can be gift wrapped.

Genus Tulipa
Group/Species Double Late

Also known as Peony-flowered. These have large, fully double flowers up to 12cm wide. Click here for more information about tulip groups.
Variety La Belle Epoque
Type Perennial (grown as an annual)
Common Name Tulip
Border Position Container Garden
Bulb Size 11/+
Soil Type Broad Tolerance
Scent Unscented
Site Full Sun
Moisture Well-drained
Height 45cm (18in)
Spacing Plant pointy end up 10-15cm (4-6in) deep, 8cm (3in) apart. Layer bulbs to a depth of 25-30cm (10-12in) if room is tight. Remember to add plenty of grit if your soil is heavy. For containers, space bulbs 1-2cm (½-1in) apart if planting in a single layer, give them more room, 2-3cm (1-1½in) if planting in a bulb lasagne.
Sowing, Seeds, Planting Plant outdoors October - December.
Care Tips Don’t plant tulips until mid-late October. Plant pointy end up 10-15cm deep, 8cm apart in borders (less in containers). You can use a mycorrhizal Bulb Starter. After flowering leave the foliage to die back naturally if you want to reuse the bulbs.
Flowering April - May
Vase Life Tulips make supreme cut flowers. Strip the bottom leaves, tie the stems in paper to hold the stems ram-rod straight and leave to drink for at least 3 hours – or overnight. This helps keep the stems straight, but tulips do continue to grow after picking so curves may appear.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Sow Under Cover/Plant Indoors
  • Direct Sow/Plant Outdoors
  • Flowers/Harvest
Advice & Videos
Gardening at home with Sarah | The best tulips at Perch Hill

In our latest video, Sarah shares her favourite tulips for picking, pots, borders and grass.

Sarah's weekly blog: Soft colours

I am sticking with soft colours this week — and the rule of adding smoky, slatey somberness to stop gentle colour combinations from being...

Gardening at home with Sarah | May Tulips

Sarah shares her favourite tulips for companion planting, growing in shade and pots.

Gardening at home with Sarah | Tulips at Perch Hill

Watch as Sarah discusses her favourite varieties currently growing in the gardens at Perch Hill.

Protecting tulips from pests

Protect your tulips this spring from their main pests. This short guide shows you how to avoid tulip fire and squirrels.

Sarah's favourite tulip groups

Sarah talks about her favourite types of tulip groups.

Planting numbers for bulbs in borders

A handy guide for how many alliums, narcissi, tulips, snowdrops and other bulbs to plant in your plot.

How to plant and grow tulips

Find out the best way to plant your tulip bulbs for a great display next spring.

How to plant tulips using a traditional bulb planter

On a particularly blustery autumn day in October, Sarah shows you how to plant tulips with a bulb planter.

How to grow tulips in container pots

Sarah shows you a few different ideas and techniques for planting tulips in container pots, for beautiful spring displays in your garden.

Understanding the 15 different tulip groups

The full list of the different tulip groups, with a little specification, as well as an example. We hope from this you can learn a bit more to help...

A guide through the tulip trial beds at Perch Hill

Sarah guides you through the new tulip varieties she is trialling from her most recent trip to the Netherlands (Hortus Bulborum, Keukenhof). She...

Sarah's blog: The Tulip Garden

We had our first light frost this morning, which has made me start thinking about planting tulips...

Related Videos
Delivery

Bulb Delivery - When in stock, please allow up to 3 weeks for despatch.

Click here to find out more information about our delivery rates and times.

Tulip 'La Belle Epoque' reviews

* * * * * Average based on 14 reviews

* * * * *

Reviewed 13th August 2019 by Karen

Love this tulip - just gorgeous

* * * * *

Reviewed 1st August 2019 by Mr Luscombe

Did very well in pots. Would buy again

* * * * *

Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Jackie

The bulbs flowered well with big heads and they lasted well too.
As described in the catalogue.

* * * * *

Reviewed 31st July 2019 by Jacqui

Fabulous results, wonderful colouring. A triumph!

* * * * *

Reviewed 17th July 2019 by Hello Wendy

This was the first time I had tried La Belle Epoque, and initially I was a little worried when the flowers started off with a yellow tinge. But I needn't have worried - as they developed, they turned into the lovely shade presented in the catalogue. I'll be trying these again next year!

* * * * *

Reviewed 16th July 2019 by Hello Deborah

Lovely colour & pretty petals

* * * * *

Reviewed 11th July 2019 by Hello Debbie

Beautiful bulbs. great display

* * * * *

Reviewed 10th July 2019 by Hello Emma

These were absolutely stunning. Huge bulbs with equally huge flowers

* - - - -

Reviewed 10th July 2019 by Hello Sian

Only three of these grew and they were desperately stunted despite my growing them and giving them regular watering. So disappointed as they look to be a stunning tulip

* * - - -

Reviewed 27th June 2019 by Mrs Dix

some if these bulbs flowered

* * * * *

Reviewed 26th June 2019 by Marjan

Good quality bulls and fabulous flowers

Swoon-inducing Tulips.

* * * * *

Reviewed 30th April 2017 by Tamar

I'm in love with these tulips. I forgot what they were called and looked it up and fell in love them again. Strong blue-grey foliage appears early spring and bruises towards the peach nude buds that follow, neither do little justice to the complex but delicate neutral tones of the flowers at full tilt - coffee cream, blush, mauve, with deep black stamens. These tulips go with everything; and their tall strong habit makes them excellent in pots or strewn around a mixed border - which is what I did, in my silver/bronze/brown schemed planting. They look good for weeks - managing a dramatic stance even to the end. Belle Epoque is certainly a fitting name.
Would swoon again.

Perfect!

* * * * *

Reviewed 24th April 2015 by ladysevillamarmalade

I planted these last autumn in a west facing ribbon border under a stone wall, together with Tulips Exotic Emperor, Green Star and Apricot Beauty and Pulmonaria Sissinghurst White at their feet and I am totally delighted. So far no problem with our damp Devon soil.

Beautiful, faded colour

* * * * *

Reviewed 4th March 2015 by Carol Farrand

I fell for these last winter and planted a few. So often, the reality does not live up to the image in a catalogue, but these did. Soft, sort of faded colour which is delicate. Flowers lasted a long time in our Devon garden so I bought some more. the faded mix is lovely.

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