Top TEN Classic tulips

For simple elegance plus a vast variety of colours and colour combinations, choose classic tulips,

- Graham Rice

We all know what tulips look like the goblet-shaped flowers on upright stems are instantly recognisable, and the range of colours is amazing!

OK, so perhaps there's no 'true blue' in the tulip's colour palette, but there's everything else, from white to black and every tone between. There are also pretty feathered and patterned types that drove 18th-century fanatics to great wealth, or bankruptcy, as the bubble inflated and then burst.

These classic tulips are simple and stately, with single flowers like wine glasses, and they are divided into five main groups.

Early single tulips

Flowers open on relatively short and sturdy stems in late March and April. Look for: 'Apricot Beauty' (apricot), 'Prinses Irene' (orange with purple streaks). H: 20-40cm (8-16in).

Mid-season tulips

Compact, with strong stems, essential between the early and late varieties. Sometimes includes Triumph. Look for: 'Brown Sugar' (coppery bronze), 'Negrita' (deep purple). H: 40-50cm (16-20in).

Darwin hybrid tulips

Featuring the largest flowers of the classically shaped tulips in late April and May. Look for: 'Apeldoorn's Elite' (red and gold), 'Pink Impression' (two-tone pink). H: 45-60cm (18-24in).

Lily-flowering tulips

With pointed petals arching outwards at the tips, these early and mid-May varieties are stylish. Look for: ‘Fly Away’ (orange and gold), ‘White Triumphator’ (white). H: 45-70cm (18-28in).

Single late (May-flowering) tulips

Flowering through May, are best in a sheltered site. Look for: ‘Dreamland’ (pink and white), ‘Queen of Night’ (almost black). H: 45-70cm (18-28in).

Best classic tulips for...