Tulipa sprengeri was in a paved area "feature pot" on the AGS Chelsea Flower Show stand last May. It was lusted after by many visitors, and a very useful tulip, a) because it flowers late enough to be at the ChelseaFS and b) the AGS was able to sell packets of seed. Hunting around to find some last summer, I was told by 1 nursery it is mainly a rarity because its late season results in the Dutch not showing any interest in mass production. Another alpine nursery I visited had a hundred or more in bloom at the back of a raised rock bed. VERY impressive. I eventually acquired some bulbs and seed, both of which are starting to show above the soil this week. I have grown several of the usual urumiensis, tarda, batalinii, linifolia, vvedenskyi types and montana/wilsoniana/schimganica, I have had all names at times, in pots, but in the garden, T. saxatilis/bakeri lilac wonder is the only dwarf, and it spreads around widely by stolons and pops up amongst other plants. Definitely not for a small rockery with special alpines in. I think this link shows it in its best setting http://gartendatenbank.de/pflanzen/tulipa/… Brian Whyer, zone 8'ish, Buckinghamshire, England
