Tending to your Tulips

Here's how to extend the vase life of your tulips. Give the stems a fresh cut. Use cool water. Don't fill the vase completely full of water ... two or three inches is enough. Tulips are water hogs. If left to their own devices, they'll drink too much and the petals will turn transparent. That said, don't let them go dry. Change the water every other day. Keep them in a coolish part of the room -- definitely not on top of the radiator.

The less you do with them, the better. Think of tulips as the terriers of the flower world. They're basically going to do what they want to do. They'll turn their heads to follow the sun. Continue to grow after they're cut. (If you're going to mix them with other flowers, cut the tulips shorter than the rest.) Bend and sometimes flop the way they want. Trying to tame tulips isn't hopeless, but do you really need the frustration? Let them be and enjoy.

More Tulipmania

Though we associate tulips with flat-as-a-pancake Holland, they're actually mountain flowers, originating in the foothills of the Himalayas. The sultans of the Ottoman Empire were responsible for the first wave of tulipmania. These "exotic" blooms reached Holland by way of Prague in the 1590's. By the 1630's, they were no longer reserved only for royalty and the rich and the second wave of tulipmania was in full force.

Weird, wonderful Italian Ranunculus

We've nicknamed these "lettuce ranunculus." The first ones we got were red with ruffly green centers. Then we started to get them in orange. Now we're getting some that look like they're on steroids. Folks have been coming in to ask about the strange flowers in the window. All we know is that somewhere in Italy a bunch of horticulturists are having way too much fun developing "magnifico, stupendo ranucoli."

Tulipmania, Part 2

Often we'll get a tulip described as "rem" -- shorthand for Rembrandt. Even though Rembrandt rarely painted a tulip, a variety popular during his lifetime bears his name. Rems are known for their vertical streaks of color. A virus caused the originals; modern rems are the result of tulip tinkering.

Tulipmania

Tulipmania lives on! Today a mind-boggling 4000 registered varieties exist. This is one of our favorites. Fully open, it's almost completely flat. On its own or mixed with other flowers, it's a stunner. It must have a formal name but our supplier just calls it Leo.

Breathtaking Water Lily

Of all the flowers we get, water lilies are perhaps the most amazing. Many people have never seen them outside of a pond. You might think they'd be beautiful floating in a shallow bowl but, as a cut flower, they are usually happier with their stems kept long and submerged in water up to their necks. Even as a cut flower, water lilies maintain their circadian rhythm, closing when it gets dark, then opening in the morning. They're not always readily available; perhaps that is part of their magic.

A Very Happy Easter

A very Happy Easter from all of us at Gotham Gardens.