Care and info guide for tulips

The tulip is one of the most beautiful and impressive flowers in the world and remains among the most popular flowers in the gardens of East and West. There are tulips in different shapes and sizes with countless color combinations to choose from, with double petals and more complex flowers. They are also particularly popular in florists, where their flowers come from special varieties grown in greenhouses for cut flower production. Tulips are an excellent choice for decorating flowers in a vase, as with proper care, their flowers are kept in very good condition for up to 10 days.

Where did the tulip come from?

The tulip originally grew as a wildflower far away in a cold and isolated Himalayan mountain range. Tulips thrive in places where the spring is fairly cool, the summers are fairly dry, and the winters are bitterly cold. With these weather conditions they were perfectly adapted to the special climate of the Himalayas. 

The Tulip's Relationship with Turkey

These magnificent flowers attracted the interest of the Turkish nomads of the region. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent was the first to collect, cultivate and reproduce this wonderful flower.

It is said that he gave them the name "Tulip" because they reminded him of the Turban that the Turkish pashas wore on their heads. The beautiful tulip petals looked just like the way a turban folds.

How did the tulip get into the hands of the Netherlands?

The Turks were so proud of their flowers that they sent tulip bulbs as gifts to Western European heads of state and ambassadors. Europe and especially the Netherlands immediately fell in love with the tulip.

The Dutch developed a particular obsession with the tulip and this obsession was so great that it was given the name “Tulipmania”. In the 17th century its demand rose so much that prices soared and the average price of a single tulip exceeded the annual salary of a well-trained worker. Some even cost more than a house. In 1637 the market for tulips collapsed and the flower no longer had any value. However by then the Dutch had already established a world trade in tulips that would last for centuries.

The Ottomans and Dutch lived through periods of "tulip mania", writing poems about the flower, painting pictures, decorating their clothes and carpets with its designs, and of course producing millions of tulips each year to decorate gardens and flower pots.

Range and assortment

Nowadays over 3000 cultivars of tulip bulbs are grown on 10,000 hectares in the Netherlands. Of those cultivars, some 600 are available in the cut flower trade. Breeding has now created fifteen groups of tulips, classified by leaf and flower shape, natural flowering period and/or height. Tulip flowers come in a wide variety of colors, except pure blue (several tulips with "blue" in the name have a faint violet hue).

The magic carpet of tulips

Holland grows over 100 varieties of tulips which are sent all over the world to cover the flower market. In the land of the tulip, a number of flowers are produced each year that reach two-thirds of the total world production. Of course the vast majority are for export around the world. Huge areas with colorful stripes create a unique landscape reminiscent of a painting. The spectacle is due to millions of tulips blooming in the rural areas of the Netherlands. White, red, blue, yellow and many other shades are created by the tulip growers who cultivate vast areas since the 17th century. There are tulip fields all over the country but the most impressive are in the cities of Leiden and Den Helder. Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit these cities to enjoy the beautiful sight.

Myths about the tulip

One myth related to this flower: In the East there was once a Kurdish prince called Farhad. He was very much in love with Shirin. One day his beloved was killed, Farhad then fell with his horse over a cliff wanting to kill himself. His blood spread on the ground and every drop of it became a tulip. From that moment the tulip became the emblem of absolute love.

Symbolism of tulips

Tulip symbolizes love in all its forms, such as romantic, passionate, friendly, and sisterly. In addition, the tulip is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. This fact has associated the tulip with rebirth and renewal. Finally, in the distant past the tulip has also been associated with charity.

 What to look for when buying tulips 

• The weight determines the tulip’s appearance. Large bulbs produce the heaviest tulips with the biggest flowers.

• The height and stage of ripeness must correspond. This stage of ripeness is expressed in numbers from 1 (unripe) to 5 (ripe).

• The flowers must be healthy when buying tulips. Tulips sometime suffer from botrytis or have yellow leaf tips. Weak, shiny spots on the stem indicate ‘tippers’ or ‘water stems’, which will not be sturdy in the vase.

• Some growers pre-treat tulips in order to reduce the growth of the stems and counteract leaf yellowing.

Care tips for growers

• Tulips can easily grow in the bucket. You can prevent them from growing too much by keeping them for a short period and in cool conditions. Place them on a shallow layer of water.

• Tightly wrap tulips in paper to make them nice and firm and prevent them from growing crooked.

• Work in clean and dry conditions: botrytis can easily affect these fresh, leafy flowers.

• If you are using tulips in a bouquet or arrangement, allow for the growth spurt.

• Add bulb flower food to a mixed bouquet of tulips and narcissi. Narcissi exude slime after being cut - the food prevents this from damaging the tulips.

Display tips

The peak tulip season runs from January to mid-April. You therefore have the pick of all the types and colors in March. A sizable bouquet with tulips in different colors is simple but irresistible. Fancy something more traditional? The elegant shape of parrot tulips fits perfectly with ranunculus, carnations, hydrangea and eucalyptus, for example.

Tulip in decoration

The tulip is an ideal choice to bring spring faster indoors and outdoors. Both as a cut flower and as a potted plant, the tulip can decorate from the coffee table to windows, shelves, bookcases, the dining room, the sideboard.

It can also add color to outdoor spaces, from balconies to courtyards and garden beds.

The tulip with its closed flowers is one of the most romantic flowers that exude tender feelings. On the other hand, the lively and intense colors as well as the varieties with wavy petals turn the tulip into a modern flower suitable for many combinations.

At the wedding the tulip can be used for general decoration and table arrangements and is also an ideal choice for the bridal bouquet.

The meaning of the tulip changes greatly depending on its color.

For example:

Yellow is the color of unrequited or rejected love. Sending a yellow tulip to someone means you love them, but you know they don't reciprocate your feelings.

Red is the color of passion and perfect love. Don't send a bouquet of these flowers to a family member or you'll send the wrong message!

Purple is associated with rights, but also abundance, faith and prosperity.

Pink expresses strong affection and love, and offers a more appropriate choice for friends and family.

White symbolizes assertiveness, but it is also used to send a message of apology or condolences.

In the art of Japanese floristry, the tulip symbolizes kindness, compassion, perfect love and luck.

 Care tips for tulips in vase 

• When choosing a vase allow for the fact that the tulips will grow by a couple of centimeters.

• Ensure that the vase is clean and fill it with cold tap water and the supplied cut flower food.

• Make sure that there are no leaves hanging in the water. Remove the bottom leaves if necessary.

• Cut 3 to 5 cm off the stem.

• Place the vase in a draught-free spot, as cool as possible. Do not place the tulips near fruit, since this will accelerate the ageing of the flowers.

• Tulips are thirsty. Regularly check the water level in the vase and top up with cold tap water when necessary.

• Trim drooping tulips again, wrap them in strong paper and leave them to drink their fill in the water for an hour. They will then be beautifully upright again.

Tulip cultivation

So these beautiful flowers bloom in the spring from March to May, they have many colors and many designs, they are quite durable. The bulbs are planted in the fall and germinate in the winter. The more intense the sunshine at the time the flower blooms, the fewer days it lasts. This is why the tulip should be planted in places protected from direct sunlight.

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