Tulips are wonderful flowers which are known for their exuberant colors that come in many vibrant shades. Originally, these flowers were cultivated in Ottoman- the country that is known as Turkey today and they were imported into the Netherlands in the 16th century. In 1592 Carolus Clesius wrote about the tulips in his book which led to a raid in his garden and all the bulbs stolen. The curvaceous flower gained popularity among the Dutch through their festivals and paintings. In the mid- seventeenth century the tulips had gained so much popularity which led to an economic bubble known as the ‘tulip mania’. However, due to this economic condition and too much demand it led to the crush of the tulip market.
Tulips Today
Presently, the Netherlands is still known for its tulips and flowers. It is popularly known as the ‘flower shop of the world’. The Dutch tulips fields where the tulips are cultivated have a wonderful pop of color and the people hold tulips festivals in the spring to celebrate their love for this resplendent flower. The tulip festival has now spread its wings to other parts of the world like Michigan and New York.
Types of Tulips
Whenever tulips begin to bloom they symbolize the beginning of spring. The flower has gained so much popularity all over the world and now more gardeners are reserving spaces in their gardens and containers for this beautiful flowers. Many people would be surprised to find out that there is an extensive variety of tulips with some having little resemblance to the common tulip that is widely known and loved. There are over 3,000 types of tulips but they are divided into 15 cultivar groups which include but are not limited to Parrot tulips, triumph, single late, double late, fringed, Darwin hybrid and emperor tulips among many others.
Planting and Caring for Tulips
These flowers are so easy to care for and plant which has seen them become a staple among gardeners. They require minimal effort but grace your gardens which beautiful blooms that come in a wide range of colors. Tulips bloom from bulbs which means that the should be planted in well-draining soils during the fall. They freeze up during the winter and then emerge from the soil during spring. Thus they require the freezing winter temperatures for about 15 weeks before they start blooming during spring. These flowers can be planted directly into the ground or in containers which are filled with fertile soils. The soil need to be kept moist not waterlogged for these flowers to thrive. Most tulips need the full exposure of the sun while some species require some shade to protect them from rainfall and wind. There are other varieties which can withstand all this weather conditions. Under the right conditions, tulips will bloom every spring year on year requiring very minimal care and maintenance. With these flowers coming in a wide range of colors and shapes they have something special that appeals to almost everybody. For such an easy to care for flower, they present a lot of rewards with minimal expenditure.
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