When the tulips appear prominently in flower shops and begin to pop out of the ground in gardens, it is a sure sign that spring has arrived. Tulips are beautiful bulb perennials that love areas with seasons. They actually require cold weather to bloom. Those who do not have access to the cold weather the bulbs need might even consider putting them in the refrigerator for a few weeks to simulate the changing of the seasons.

This lovely flower originated in central Asia. From there it slowly started its trek west through Turkey, eventually reaching western Europe and the Netherlands. It was cultivated by famous botanist Carolus Clusius. Clusius not only helped to popularize the flower in the region, he also created a few varieties of his own. Today there are about 150 species of the tulip and over 3000 varieties. There is still a Dutch organization today that tracks all the registered varieties of the tulip.

Clusius had so much success popularizing the flower that the 1630’s actually say one of the first speculative marketing bubbles that Europe has ever seen: ‘tulip mania’. People became so obsessed with the bulbs for these flowers that they paid increasingly high prices for them until the bubble burst a few years later. Although tulip bulbs are no longer considered the precious commodities they once were, they still remain a popular flower.

Tulips are considered a part of the lily family and bloom for about 3-7 days each year. The Netherlands remains the world leader in tulip exports and produces about 3 billion bulbs each year for sale. The flower also remains popular further east where it originated and is still the national flower for both Afghanistan and Turkey.

At Zeidler’s Flowers, we love helping our clients find some gorgeous tulips to celebrate spring. here are a few of our favorite arrangements that we recommend for those who want to add some light to the indoors.

Blueberry Splash

This lovely arrangement mixes purple and white tulips with decorative gems and a butterfly on the vase. It makes for a wonderful accent to any home or office.

Blueberry Splash

Daybreak tulips

These bi colored tulips offer the perfect dose of spring. The orange and yellow on the petals looks spectacular and will make any recipient think of the beauty of spring.

Daybreak Tulips

Tulips are a wonderful flower for ushering in spring and welcoming the warmer weather. These flowers have a rich history as well as a fantastic color that makes them a wonderful pick throughout the season. They are also a very interesting flower in that once they are cut and put into water they will continue to grow. This makes them get taller. They also bend, lean toward the light, open and close.