Botanical Name: Tulipa
Blooms Locally: Mid-Lat April
Flower Meaning: Depends on the color; red symbolizes true love, purple represents loyalty, white tulips say "I'm Sorry"
Last fall, we planted a few rare varieties of tulips with great anticipation for what we would harvest in the spring. With an early warm streak, we began to see green sprouts much earlier than anticipated, and we worried that we wouldn't get to use our precious tulips in our spring bouquets like we had planned. Luckily, Mother Nature found her balance and we harvested breathtaking Salmon Parrot Tulips (pictured below) in time to feature them in a few event arrangements last month. We also grew Professor Rontgen and Charming Beauty Tulips and completely fell in love. We were so impressed with the ease of growing these beauties that we are already stocking up on tulip bulbs for next year!
Have you ever heard of "Tulip Mania"? It was an economic crash that occurred in the 1600s, caused by a sudden surge in demand for...tulip bulbs. In 1593, Turkey introduced the Dutch to tulips. The Dutch went wild for tulips, and the bulbs were widely sought after for a premium price. A viral genetic alteration emerged, causing vibrant streaks of colors on tulip petals, which increased their value tenfold. Gardeners began seeking certain viral strains for their gardens, and the rarity of these strains coupled with bulb buyers scooping up as many bulbs as possible to capitalize on the bubble, initiated a twenty-fold increase in value! People were trading land, even their homes, for tulip bulbs. By 1636, tradesmen, were indulging in frantic trading of the bulbs - think wall street of tulip bulbs - with some bulbs changing hands up to 10 times during in a single day. Needless to say, this resulted in one of the largest market collapses in modern history. By 1637, speculators could no longer afford to buy the bulbs, demand plummeted along with the price of tulip bulbs, leaving many to suffer from the resulting economic depression upon realizing that they had traded their homes for garden fodder.
We love using tulips in our arrangements. Their symmetrical petals, bold colors and gorgeous shape uniquely enhance bouquets and arrangements. What are your favorite tulip varieties?
