French Blend Tulip

Tulip Trivia

On this snowy and blisteringly cold day I find myself dreaming of tulips.

You see, my mother loves tulips.  Even though growing up in Riverwoods there was a fair share of deer, she would tirelessly plant them.  Not en masse, but in little charming clumps that would pop up here and there.  She would sometimes pair them with Allium in attempts to ward off our beautiful yet hungry friends.

Her love affair with tulips remains strong to this day, although instead of deer she now contends with chipmunks and squirrels.   This year I finally talked her into a blend created by one of my favorite tulip vendors.  This fall I excitedly placed ILT’s bulb order, my mother’s “French Blend” included.

French Blend Tulip

The French Tulip Blend

As I’m dreaming of tulips I decide to do some research on our little spring friends.  What I found was extremely interesting.  So much so I thought I would share.

  1. Origin:  Thought tulips were from Holland?  No my friends.  It is widely thought that they were originally cultivated in a corridor running along the 40° latitude between Northern China and Southern Europe.