The wild tulip at the end of its tube, blows out its great red bell, / Like a thin clear bubble of blood, for the children to pick and sell.
Robert Browning
The Name:
Westerners first saw tulips tucked into the folds of turbans worn by Arabs. It seems that Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, who was an ambassador from the Holy Roman Empire to the court of Suleiman the Magnificent, sultan of Turkey, was curious about the blossom. When he asked for the name of the flower was he was told dulband, which is Arabic for turban. As a result, tulips were given the Latinized name for turban: Tulipa.
Busbecq, who also brought us lilacs, was probably the one to bring the flowers back to us during the sixteenth century. Charles de l’Ecluse, also known as Clusius, the director of the emperor’s garden in Vienna began growing tulips. Clusius loved his bulbs and set such a high price for them that people began to steal them from his garden.
Speculation on Bulbs:
Soon tulips became wildly popular in Holland. So popular, in fact, that they resulted in phenomena called ‘tulipomania’ in which people began to speculate on them. What fired the speculation was the hope of finding tulips that were broken or striped. Flowers with a break were an unpredictable occurrence making them good for speculation. In recent years, it has been discovered that the break is the result of virus, transferred by aphids. In 1637, the tulip market in Holland crashed but by then the Dutch were skilled tulip growers and the plants became a commercial success as an export. After the crash, the Dutch government stepped in and made speculation illegal.
Description:
Tulips are simple, elegant flowers. In the spring broad leaves push up from the bulbs and through the soil. When blooming season arrives, a single stem (there are multi-stemmed varieties available) sends up a tight, green bud. When opened it bears a singular cup-shaped flower. Blossoms can be found in every color but true blue. However, the designation of the color black is arguable because black tulips aren't a true black but a midnight purple.
Thanks to the wonders of hybridization tulips do not need to remain married to the ‘typical.’ They can also be found in double, fringed, twisted, perfumed, or unscented. They come in a variety of size from miniature blossoms suitable for rock gardens to the towering height of 2.5 feet. They are a springtime flower. However, they come in three flowering seasons, early, mid, and late spring so that you can keep the display going all spring.
Care:
Tulips are easy to grow. In colder climates, plant them in the fall 5 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart. Water them well. Next spring you will have brilliant color in the bed.
Tulips need cold in order to bloom. However, if you live in a warm climate, do not despair. You can buy pre-cooled bulbs that will bloom a few weeks after planted. They will, however, need to replaced yearly.
Uses:
Tulips are excellent long-lasting cut flowers. They make beautiful beds and borders for those who prefer a formal garden and for those prefer the informal look species tulips are ideal for naturalizing.
Final Thoughts:
In his wonderful book “ Tulipa: A Photographer’s Botanical ” Christopher Baker writes: “In this may lie a clue to the abiding power of the tulip, a flower that forms some of the most elegant lines in nature and then, in spasms of extravagance, blithely steps across them.”
Or to put it more simply, when a tulip breaks we are delighted.
Melissa Howard - I am a stay-at-home Mom. My college education was in English and History and my last job was as a Technical Writer. Now that I ...
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