|
Planted in massed beds of a single colour, the tulip’s elegantly perfect form and graceful curving foliage boldly announce the arrival of spring, delighting park walkers everywhere.
Originally from Turkey, Iran and central Asia, this wildflower has been subjected to intensive breeding programmes in Europe since the 16th century, an ongoing process of refinement that continues throughout the world today.
The tulip was once responsible for some of the craziest futures trading ever known. At the height of tulipomania, in 17th century Holland, a single bulb could change hands for a phenomenal sum of money – up to the equivalent of a whole house in Amsterdam. Instead of the usual plain colours, it was hoped that a bulb would “break” or produce highly prized “feathers and flames” – striped or patterned blooms that could earn the owner a fortune. Now we know such rarities were the result of an aphid-carried virus.
Tulips remain commercially viable today as millions are imported each year by countries such as the United States, France and Germany.
Nothing is more cheering on a brisk spring morning than a container or two of these colourful blooms. Floral arrangers love their simplicity and the way they bend and twist in the vase, slowly opening to reveal a contrasting dark centre on the inside of their silky petals.
Tulips are easy to grow in areas with a cold winter. If winters are warmer where you live, simply pop the bulbs into the vege drawer of your fridge for six weeks before planting later than usual – at the end
of autumn instead of the beginning. They prefer to be planted in a sunny spot and more deeply than most bulbs, especially if it’s mild – about 12cm below the surface in a free-draining mix, watered in well after planting.
Use tall vases to show tulips in their full splendour.
How to make a tulip arrangement
You’ll need: a large decorative vessel, a smaller vase to fit inside with room to spare, about three bags of moss (depending on size of each vessel), about ten bunches of tulips.
 Step OneStart by placing a layer of moss into the bottom of the larger vase, pressing it in and packing it flat.
Step Two
Position the smaller vase on top of this moss base in the larger vase. Use more moss to fill the gap between the two, working it up the sides until you reach the top of the larger vase and the smaller one is obscured (it anchors the smaller one too). Half-fill the smaller vase with water.
Step Three
Place tulips in the water, starting from the outside edge and working around (it is easier to grab a handful than single blooms and the effect is more natural). Work the tulips into the centre, ensuring the middle bunches are slightly higher to create a soft, rounded shape.
Top up with water every day as tulips are thirsty. You may notice that the arrangement moves into different shapes over time – this is because tulips continue to “grow” after being cut.
Web-only how-to: Terrific tulips
You’ll need: Approximately ten stems of large, straight leaves (we used Bird of Paradise), sellotape or wire, secateurs or scissors, 5 or 6 bunches of tulips, a large-necked glass vase.
Step one
Spiral the leaves in your hand and bind the stems together quite high up with either sellotape or wire. Use your secateurs to trim the base of the stems to the same level.
Step two
Place leaves into vase and hold upright. Insert tulips in around the leaves. The easiest way to do this is by placing the tulips in bunches, rather than doing it one by one.
Step three
Once you have gone all the way around the vase with the tulips, make sure they are evenly spaced and approximately at the same level. Fill with water.
Story: Rose Thodey
Photographs: Kelley Eady Loveridge
Stylist: Wendy Hart
| 
|
| 
