In just 3 days it will officially be spring. And when its spring we automatically think about Easter celebrations, Mother’s Day and, of course, spring flowers.
We all easily recognize one of the most famous flowers – La Tulipa or The Tulip, because this flower is beautiful, vibrant, and fresh. It spreads immediately good feelings.Tulips are a very popular at this time of the year; they are abundant and striking and they stand for love and affection. Often they are a part of an Easter table decoration and obviously they are a perfect in a bouquet for Mother’s Day.
Because we all seem to know the tulip so well, let’s correct one of the biggest misconceptions, namely; that the tulip was first cultivated in the Netherlands. By saying that, I am sure I lost some bonus points from my Dutch colleges at FloraQueen but facts are facts!
News flash for those of you believing that the Netherlands is the country of the tulip’s origin! In reality it is reported that this flower was originally from the Middle East and was referred to as “Lale”. From there, the Turks cultivated the tulip bulbs and in the middle of the 16th Century the tulip came to the European continent as a gift. It was so well received that Europeans, especially the Dutch, imported bulbs and plants and began to grow this glorious flower themselves.
This joyful flower was first introduced to the aristocracy and bourgeoisie and their gardeners like Carl von Linné of Prussia or Carolus Clusius, a well-known botanist in the Netherlands. They helped to create awareness of this flower across the old continent.
As a result of her discreet smell and her vivid colors, the tulip not only gives character and color to our gardens in the spring but also decorates our living areas as a cut flower in vases.
Interesting Fact & Care Tips;
- Tulips don’t know when to stop! They continue to grow in water and will curve towards the light.
- Remove Foliage from the part of the stems that will be under water in your vase.
- Cut off any white portion of the stem to allow better fluid intake. To prevent the intake of air into the stems, give them a fresh cut under water.
- The vase life of a tulip is just about a week. Recent studies have shown that floral preservatives should not be added to cut tulips as they shorten their longevity by clogging the stems. Fresh water works the best!
- Do not mix, tulips with daffodils when creating a vase arrangement; daffodils release a stem-clogging enzyme that causes other flowers to wilt, especially tulips.
On another note, if you are planning a trip to the Netherlands between now and May and you love flowers, the Keukenhof also known as the Garden of Europe, is the world’s largest flower garden and should definitely be on your “To Do List”. According to the official website, approximately 7,000,000 flower bulbs are planted annually in the park, – which covers an area of 32 hectares. It is breathtaking in bloom.
