Bold colors, beautiful symmetrical shapes—this famous member of the lily family is a gardner’s favorite, and a girl’s best friend the world over. Tulips are adored all over the globe for their beauty, and it’s easy to see why. Growing them, or keeping them indoors can be an incredibly rewarding experience—and with a little help and the right conditions—you can grow beautiful tulips of your own!
THE SYMBOLISM OF TULIPS
Giving tulips to your sweetheart is a beautiful gesture that will certainly win you some brownie points! Tulips symbolize a deep and perfect love—one that is shared by two soul mates intertwined on their life’s path. They’re a perfect gift for your partner for every occasion. With over 150 unique varieties of the flower, you’re sure to find one that will make their heart sing!
TULIPS WERE ONCE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD
Here’s a weird little factoid about tulips for you: The first economic crash in recorded history was in the 1600’s….and it was caused by TULIPS! Sounds pretty bizarre doesn’t it? Over a 6 month period, the price of a single tulip bulb in Holland (where tulips reign supreme) grew to the equivalent price of a mansion on the Amsterdam Grand Canal before plummeting sharply back to their original value. This episode in history is the subject of many books, and the butt of many jokes.
PERRENIAL OR ANNUAL?
That’s why, if you’re interested in growing tulips in your garden, you may just want to dig up the old bulbs and plant some new ones every fall. Or you could gamble, and hope your tulips come back—but there are no guarantees!
TULIP CARE TIPS
As we mentioned, tulips need a little bit of finesse and love in order to grow, multiply, bloom, and prosper in your garden. Having said that, with the proper approach, you’ll find growing tulips to be a labor of love!
1. Plant In The Fall
Firstly, tulips are planted as bulbs. These bulbs like to be planted in cool ground, but not frozen. If you’ve bought your bulbs in the spring, ensure you store them in a dry, dark location and they should be fine until the autumn season.
2. Pointy End Up
Tulip bulbs have a pronounced round end and pointy end. The pointy end is where your beautiful flower will pop out of, so it’s important that when you’re planting the bulbs in the ground, that the pointy end is facing skyward!
3. Only Water When Necessary
Other than when you first plant your tulip bulbs (at which point it’s good to give them a soak), tulips should be watered very scarcely, and only when the weather has been excessively dry.
FINAL WORD: NO FUSSING WITH YOUR TULIPS!
Once your tulips are established and are beginning to grow and flourish, try not to touch or move them around unnecessarily. Tulips, like gardners, like to be left alone in their garden!
Happy Planting!
