Honoring "Tulip Day New York"
Tulips are among the most popular of all garden flowers - grown for their graceful leaves and bright, cheery blooms.
Yesterday was "Tulip Day" in New York City's Union Square. A pop-up field of 200-thousand tulips were displayed for visitors to create their own bouquets. The event was hosted by Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association for flower bulb companies, the European Union, and the Netherlands Consulate General of New York. It's part of an initiative to honor the 400-years since the first Dutch settlements were established in the city. My tulips aren't blooming just yet, but to join in the celebration I decided to share some photos of the tulips I've grown over the years.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Every year, I always plant a variety of tulips in my garden. Tulips are bulbous plants of the genus Tulipa, in the lily family, Liliaceae. The flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly colored.
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- Tulips have a fascinating history. Although closely associated with Holland, tulips were first cultivated in Turkey. The name tulip is believed to be derived from the Turkish word for turbans, “tulbend,” because of their resemblance. They gained popularity in Europe in the 17th century, peaking in 1636 to 1637. Now, the Netherlands is the world’s largest commercial producer of tulips, with around three billion exported each year.
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- And do you know… tulips were once as expensive as some houses? In the late 1630s during the Dutch Golden Age, tulips were more popular than ever before creating a ‘Tulip Mania.’ This however, did not last long. After a year, prices had skyrocketed so high buyers could no longer afford them.
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- There are currently more than 3,000 registered varieties of tulips – separated in divisions based on shape, form, origin, and bloom time.
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- These are crisp, white tulips. Tulips have been hybridized in just about every color except blue. Most tulips have one flower per stem, but there are some multi-flowered varieties.
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- I have grown solid colored varieties as well as multi-colored types. Tulip bulbs should be planted in full sun to partial shade. Too much shade will diminish blooming in spring.
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- The broad, strappy leaves of tulips have a waxy coating that gives them a blue-green color. There are usually two to six leaves per plant.
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- Here is an image from above. Typical tulips have bell shaped flowers with three petals, three sepals, and six free stamens.
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- Tulips need well-drained soil. Sandy soil amended with some organic matter is perfect. They also prefer a slightly acidic soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. I am so fortunate to have such great soil here at the farm.
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- Here is a bright yellow tulip with double flowers.
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- Inside this one is a touch of soft yellow.
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- And look how stunning they are planted en masse. Most tulip plants range between six to 24 inches tall.
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- When in bloom, I always enjoy cutting flowers and bringing them indoors to decorate my home.
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- When cutting, select those that are just about to open fully, when they have about 75-percent of their full color.
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- These yellow tulips with bright red streaks are striking for cut arrangements.
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- I displayed these in my sitting room on a table. Keep cut flowers in a cool area as heat reduces the bloom time.
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- These tulips were displayed in my entrance hall. Tulips follow the sun even when they’re in a vase. Watch them. Tulips also continue to grow even after they’ve been cut.
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- I also display flowers on the counter in my servery, where I can see them every morning on my way to my kitchen.
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- Last November, we planted several beds of tulips in my new 1/2-acre vegetable garden. They will all bloom before we plant the vegetables.
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- Tulips grow best in zones 3 to 8 where they can get eight to 12 weeks of cold temperatures while under the soil.
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- Here they are now. Tulips usually begin emerging from the ground in late winter or early spring. The beds are filled with healthy bold green tulip leaves. In a few weeks, these beds will be overflowing with colorful tulip blooms – wait and see!
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