Musings on the “gracious lady” of cut flowers.
Sometimes it astounds us here at Petal’s Edge when we consider all of the things we accomplish in our industrious little Old Town studio. Months fly by like a calendar in a wind storm before we finally stop and say, “Hey, where did the last six months go?” We don’t really have an explanation for those missing, windswept months. What we do know is that not one ounce of the work we do would be possible without the strength of our three-woman team. With the spirit of teamwork in mind, what better flower for us to crush on than the ultimate team player: the tulip!
Tulips really do seem to know when to make a pass and when to run with it. They are soft, yet strong; meek, yet bold; demure, yet commanding. They can take center stage just as easily as they can brighten up the chorus line! While we see myriad examples of tulips splaying in breathtaking effortlessness, like few other flowers can do, we also often see them adding an almost imperceptible grace and texture to mixed arrangements and bouquets the majority of the year long. (Even their leaves are lovely!)
If the tulips was a woman, she would be one of refinement and nobility with a soft, romantic edge and a love of fine art and nature. Ever the ultimate guest or hostess as the occasion arises, it goes without saying that she has the perfect outfit for every occasion. With over 3,000 recorded varieties, that’s a pretty big closet!
Tulips Facts:
Season: Early spring to mid-summer. Tulips bloom through a process called “vernalization”, or a prolonged exposure to cold. That’s why it’s ideal to plant bulbs in late summer or early autumn.
Colors: Crisp, clean whites to deep, black-purple and everywhere in between! Variations in texture can include fringed edges, doubled petals, or the ever-popular “parrot” varieties. Many multi-color varieties are also available: Think mottled or speckled red-and-white or red-and-yellow. Early variegated tulips were actually a result of a plant virus referred to as “Broken Tulip” that caused a unique color streaking of the petals. This wonderful effect is now the result of breeding rather than inform blooms.
When to Use: When not to use would be a shorter description! We do recommend skipping them for boutonnieres and corsages, as out of water they are quite delicate.
Fun Facts: “Tulips Mania” actually caused one of the world’s earliest speculative bubbles! In 17th century Netherlands, a tulips fad broke out as a result of the development of some new varieties by botanist Carolus Clusius. The obsessive fashion trend drove up prices of the sought-after tulips bulbs to as much as 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman for a single bulb!
Tulips and texture? Check out this spring wedding at the Hotel Monaco.
Our Pinterest board is busting with plenty more tulips madness!
