Spring has arrived very late this year, but the tulips are finally in bloom. I took the girls to the infamous Keukenhof, which is a giant garden which features every type of tulip ever grown and is visited by every type of old folk you've ever seen. This photo was taken when Jimmy and I went on a 20-mile bike ride through the bulb fields, which was quite spectacular. And now for a history lesson: In the 17th century the tulip was a very popular flower in Turkey, especially with the sultans. It was often referred to as 'Tulipan', as its shape resembled a turban. It was the scientist Clusius, at the time establishing a botanical garden for the University of Leiden, who brought the tulip to Holland. Tulipomania swept through Holland between 1634 and 1637 when tulips were the ultimate status symbol. The bulb of a rare tulip like Semper Augustus might sell for a sum equal to the cost of a fancy townhouse or to 15 years wages for the average bricklayer. In a wave of panic selling in 1637, the Dutch economy collapsed, leading to mass bankruptcy and economic depression. Tulipomania has baffled historians and economists every since. Lucky for us, we can buy 10 tulips for $2.50, so we always have fresh flowers on the table.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
It's Tulip Time...
Spring has arrived very late this year, but the tulips are finally in bloom. I took the girls to the infamous Keukenhof, which is a giant garden which features every type of tulip ever grown and is visited by every type of old folk you've ever seen. This photo was taken when Jimmy and I went on a 20-mile bike ride through the bulb fields, which was quite spectacular. And now for a history lesson: In the 17th century the tulip was a very popular flower in Turkey, especially with the sultans. It was often referred to as 'Tulipan', as its shape resembled a turban. It was the scientist Clusius, at the time establishing a botanical garden for the University of Leiden, who brought the tulip to Holland. Tulipomania swept through Holland between 1634 and 1637 when tulips were the ultimate status symbol. The bulb of a rare tulip like Semper Augustus might sell for a sum equal to the cost of a fancy townhouse or to 15 years wages for the average bricklayer. In a wave of panic selling in 1637, the Dutch economy collapsed, leading to mass bankruptcy and economic depression. Tulipomania has baffled historians and economists every since. Lucky for us, we can buy 10 tulips for $2.50, so we always have fresh flowers on the table.
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