Firmly Rooted

Tulips

By Tori Carver

Long before I started flower farming, tulips were my favorite flower. I absolutely adore the artistic look of tulips splayed in a vase with the arching stems reaching up and over the edges. Their colorful petals and perfect cup-shaped blooms are a much-welcomed sign of Spring and new beginnings.

Tulips originated in Asia. They were introduced into Europe and became a frenzied commodity during the Dutch Golden Age. Around 1637, at the peak of Tulip Mania, some tulips bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of skilled craftsman and, often times, tulip bulbs were used as money. The Semper Augustus, which was the most expensive tulip in the world, sold for the sum of 5000 florins which is approximately $2,500.00 current US Dollars.

Little did I know back in my home gardening days, (thanks to the very bland box stores that sell bulbs in Autumn), but there are over 100 species of tulips that include over 3,000 varieties. In addition to the single tulips most of us are familiar with, there are also fringed, double, triumph, French, and parrot tulips just to name a few. Parrot tulips have large, showy, ruffled petals; double tulips are also called peony blooming tulips because of their double petals which resemble peonies; and fringed Tulips have little fringed edges on each petal as if someone painstakingly cut each petal with pinking shears. Each one is unique and each one is as equally stunning as the next.

As a flower farmer, I plant bulbs differently than I would as a gardener. Tulips are planted in trenches and when harvested, are pulled up bulb and all. The bulbs are then cut off and thrown in the compost pile. I know.... it’s brutal and

it was very hard for me to stomach my first year but it’s the best way to get the longest stems and as a bonus, I can re-use the growing area for annual flowers.

As with many flowers, tulips are a “one and done” wonder. Unlike flowers grown from seed, like sunflowers, zinnias, or snapdragons, that can be replanted, tulip bulbs only produce once. In our area, they begin blooming in mid to late March and are normally done by mid-April. So, if you are in the market for fresh grown tulips, don’t delay. Once they are gone, they are gone for the season.

We are currently offering bouquets of fresh tulips for sale at our Porch Pick Up so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Firmly Rooted Flower Farm for all the up-todate notifications. The Porch is located at 245 North Church Street, in Clayton at the little gray building at the beginning of the paved drive. If you need a bouquet on a specific day, just reach out and I’ll do my best to make that happen. You can reach me at tori@ firmlyrootedflowerfarm. com

Berkshire - Tambria