Tulips

  Would you believe my tulips are almost done blooming?  I wish these pretty flowers would last longer.  Tulips are one of the most popular spring flowers.  They are native to southern Europe, North Africa, Iran, and China.  Although they are associated with the Netherlands, cultivation began in Turkey.

Tulips can be recognized by their cup-shaped flowers.  It looks like they have 6 petals, but technically they have 3 petals and 3 sepals.  Tulips can be as short as 4 inches tall, or be a whopping 28 inches tall.  They come in a variety of colors.  There are 3,000 registered varieties of tulips.

 

If you're interested in flower meanings, tulips symbolize imagination, dreaminess, and a declaration of love, which is why you see them offered on Valentines Day.    Here's another tidbit of information you may not have known:  tulip bulbs can be used as a substitute for onions in cooking.

When growing tulips, select good quality bulbs.  Bigger bulbs mean bigger tulips.  Plant the bulbs 6-8 inches apart at a depth twice the diameter of the bulb.  After the tulips are finished blooming, allow the foilage to die off so the energy can go back to the bulbs.  Tulip bulbs require a period of cold, so if you don't live in a cold climate, extract the bulbs after the foilage has died, and store them in a cold dry place (like a refrigerator).