The Tulip :

The tulip was one of the most sought – after flowers in centuries past.

If you adore this springtime beauty, you’re not alone. This Persian native first come to Europe in 1559 via Turkey, and , in an instance of foreign – language confusion the flower’s name was derived from the Turkish word for turban. Although the flower is most often associated with the Netherlands, it wasn’t , in fact, imported to this region until 1593, when it was met with unprecedented demand. The wealthy Europeans were particularly mad for the tulip, and newly cultivated varieties were named after rulers and noblemen; by the 1630s, “tulipomania” had swept across Europe. Thievery of coveted bulls was common, and fortunes were won and lost in the bulb trade. Thankfully , today most tulip are nowhere near as costly and acquiring them isn’t fraught with intrigue. Representing “consuming love” and “happy years,” the tulip can be a meaningful wedding flower.

Tulips are spring. The tightly clustered buds that unfurl into brightly colored cups – each perched majestically atop a long, slender reed of a stem – trumpet to the world that the long slog of winter is over and, gloriously, the time for renewal, rebirth, and a fresh new season has arrived.

There are more than three thousand varieties of tulips, most with cup – shaped blossoms that sit atop thin stems with broad leaves. Tulips are grown in a huge range of colors, including white and cream; pastels like pink, yellow, and peach ; and vibrant brights like magenta, red, and purple. Most tulips are unscented, although a few do have a mild, sweet fragrance. Available during much of the year, the most common tulips are quite affordable, while rarer varieties can be expensive. For weddings, tulips can enhance both elegant settings and more casual venues. They work well in almost any permutation, from bouquets to boutonnieres to table arrangements. There main types are commonly used: Dutch, French , and parrot tulips.



1. Dutch Tulip
Widely available, this abundant flower shouldn’t be overlooked just because it’s common : its versatility and wide range of colors make it a useful flower for weddings. Typically seen at neighborhood florist shops, Dutch tulips have shorter stems and smaller blossoms than those of the French tulip.

2. Parrot Tulip
Also known as the Rembrandt or parakeet tulip, this showy sister is noted for its ruffled, striped petals in intense colors. Some varieties feature fringe – tipped petals for added drama. Although beautiful, their full, heavy heads tend to sag and droop and may cause stems to curve, which makes them somewhat unpredictable when used in arrangements.

3. French tulip
Large, tapered heads spring from graceful stems in this elegant variety. The extra – long stems can be twelve inches or longer, which makes the French tulip an natural for presentation bouquets or tall centerpieces. More expensive than the Dutch variety the French tulip is most often seen in cream, soft pink, and yellow pastels.

So potent is the life force of these flowers that they continue to grow after cutting. Tulip bouquets composed the day before a wedding, for example, may grow another half – inch overnight, so it’s important to remember to allow for the new size in the design.

When you bring home a wrapped bundle of cut tulips, expose the ends, give them a fresh cut, and place them in water, but don’t remove the paper. For the next five or six hours, the flowers will acclimate themselves to their new environment and respond to the constraints of the wrap, sort of like a bone setting in a cast. Left on their own in a vase without wrapping, they would soon droop as they seek the path of least resistance; tightly bundled, however, they well be trained to stand straight. Once the paper is removed, they’ll maintain their upright pose. Give them at least two days to fully bloom, the stems arching and growing, the blossoms leaning toward the light, imperceptibly swivelling to the cadence of the day.

Just as spring is its own moment in time, tulips have theirs. Even though worldwide production makes them available year – round – during winter, we see the first fabulous specimens of the year, grown in hothouses, in the flower markets – a flower so associated with spring makes it a poor fit for the heat of summer. For on thing, a tulip grown in summer is usually smaller, less vibrant, and almost certainly weaker. The stems won’t be as strong, the blossom not nearly so showy. Summer heat is tough on them, forcing them to open, invert, and lose their petals prematurely.

Most important of all, however, is the fact that a tulip used out of season is nothing less than inappropriate. Think of flowers as fashion – and a bouquet will be among the most prominent fashion statements of your wedding – and you’ll understand the relationship of the season to the flower. You can buy tulips in the middle of summer, sure, just like you can find wool sweaters in the dog days of August. But do you really want to wear either to s summer wedding? Tulips are right for spring because that is their time in the world.