If you are a tulip lover, this article will definitely interest you. Tulips originated from Turkey before they were imported into Holland and other parts of the world. Their popularity in Europe back in the 17th century was overwhelming. Tulip bulbs were even more costly that a house.
Tulips are part of the lily family and only bloom for about 3 to 7 days during the spring. No wonder they are said to symbolize the arrival of spring. Tulips come in several colours. They usually have between two to six broad, strappy leaves with a waxy coat. The flowers are normally cup-shaped with three sepals and three petals. However, there are other tulips with the shape of a star.
The popularity of Dutch tulips has grown to the extent that they are among the most common flowers you will come across at any flower shops or grocery store. Their colourful nature and cup-shaped blooms have made many people plant them either in their gardens or indoors year after year. If you want to know more about this extraordinary flower, read on.
How to plant and care for tulips
Something special about tulips is that they will fill your garden with colour way before other types of flowers gain momentum. Although most tulip flowers have one flower per stem, there are a few which are multi-flowered. There are thousands of different types of tulips based on different characteristics such as time of bloom, height and flower shape.
When it comes to growing tulips, there several important factors to consider. First of all, tulips do well when planted in clusters instead of lines. Since they make great cut flowers, you can grow them in a fenced vegetable garden or even indoors. Also, a climate with warm-to- dry summers, cool-to-cold winters and moist favour them a lot.
When planting, look for a sunny location with well-drained soil and plant the bulbs 4 to 8 inches deep. In other words, the depth should be about three times the size of the bulb to be planted. Ideally, they should be about 2 to 5 inches apart depending on their sizes. Make sure the pointy ends are facing up. If you want them to create a beautiful view, plant them in a group of at least 10 bulbs.
While tulips grow best as perennials, they are sometimes grown as annuals especially the hybrid varieties. If you are growing yours as annuals, after blooming is complete, discard the bulbs. In their place, plant summer flowers. Actually, this is the ideal way to grow tulips in warmer climates. If growing your tulips as perennials ensure you remove the flower stalks after they flower. However, don’t touch the foliage until it turns yellow to help in replenishing the bulb’s energy.
Immediately after you plant your tulips, water them generously. After that, only water them during dry seasons. For instance, if where you have planted your tulips gets some rain every one or two weeks, don’t water your tulips at all. For arid areas, you can water once every two weeks. The key thing here is to approximate the regions in central Europe and Eastern Asia where tulips do well.
The most common types of tulips
Here are the most common types of tulips you should know.
Triumph tulips
Triumph tulips are a combination of both the early flowering and the late flowering single tulips. They are available in different colours such as white with purple lining, apricot beauty, white and red.
Single early tulips
Single early tulips are the first to bloom in the season. They typically have one flower per stem with the shape similar to a cup. Examples of single early tulips are Brilliant Star (red), Merry Christmas (red), Cascade (white), Flair (red with yellow lining) and Diana (white).
Double early tulips
The double early tulips have more petals than the normal tulips. They also bloom more beautifully. They include tulips such as Bonanza, Orange Nassau, Peach Blossom and Monte Carlo.
Single late tulips
These type of tulips offer a wide range of different colours. They also have oval-shaped flowers and long stems. Examples include Esther, Blushing Beauty and Union Jack.
Fringed tulips
For these types of tulips, petals of their bloom have fringes. The most common fringed tulips include Fringed Elegance, Burgundy, Swan Wings and Fancy Frills.
The meaning behind tulip colours
When it comes to tulips, every colour represents a special meaning and interesting superstition. If you want to understand the language of flowers in-depth, learn the wonderful meanings for various tulip colours.
Red tulips
Red is a favourite colour in the romantic world and red tulips are not left behind. Their appearance evokes the feelings of love, lust and passion. That’s why they are quite popular during Valentine’s Day or couples who want to rekindle their love. Thus, if you want to express your sincere love to the person you admire, send them a bouquet of red tulips. They will know they are special to you.
Purple tulips
Purple is a symbol of royalty and elegance. Back in the days, purple dye was extremely expensive and only the wealthy people could afford. Although it is now a popular colour it continues to stand out among other colours. If you want someone to know how important they are to you, purple tulips will do the talking.
White tulips
White tulips symbolize holiness, honour and purity. They are a perfect gift to a loved one celebrating a religious milestone such as baptism. They also offer a great way of apologizing to someone you have offended. You can also use them to express your heartfelt condolences if someone close to you loses a loved one.
Yellow tulips
In the early days, yellow flowers were not popular because they were associated with jealousy and hopelessness. This has changed over time and yellow has been upgraded into brighter meanings. Yellow tulips now represent hope, happiness and cheerfulness. Also, if you believe in luck, plant some yellow tulips in your property and they will bring you good luck.
Pink tulips
One of the sweetest ways to congratulate someone is to gift them with a bouquet of awesome pink tulips. They are believed to send good luck to anyone receiving them. Perfect to someone who got a job promotion, graduated or had a baby.
The bottom line
You just can’t go wrong with a banquet of tulip flowers no matter the colour. They are all sweet to the eye and carry special meanings. If you can plant them in your home garden, please do, they will serve you beyond beautifying your home.
