All about tulips

Tulips are a timeless symbol of joy and rebirth because they bloom in the spring. Tulip flowers have been used to symbolize the coming of warmer days and the end of the long and cold winter season. Today, you can send a tulip in the spring or summer time as a way to celebrate any event of the season! From Easter season to May graduations and June weddings to new jobs in August, tulip bouquets are the perfect flowers to spread smiles.

Origin 

The flower originates from Turkey, where Ottoman sultans wore a tulip on their turban. The first shipment of tulip bulbs arrived in Antwerp in 1562, marking the start of Dutch bulb growing. New shapes and colors quickly developed and filled the fields of Holland.

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).

 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.

 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 is a timeless and classic flower and the ideal gift for a variety of occasions. With their wide variety of colorful blossoms, you can be sure that there’s a tulip for whatever reason or event you would like. Say thank you to a loved one for something they did for you, wish happy birthday to a family member or just brighten your best friend’s day with a lovely bouquet or arrangement from anthemionflowers.com.