In the Ottoman Empire the tulip was the emblem of true and perfect love. Today the tulip is loved and appreciated all over the world. They say that tulips are the world's third most popular flower after roses and chrysanthemums.
Tulips has been around for about 500 years, so they have a long and rich history, they are originally from the Middle East and usually found on rocky mountain slopes, hot and dusty in summer and bitter cold in winter.
The tulip was brought to Italy by the Romans in the sixteenth century and by the seventeenth century they had spread to Holland. The mania for tulips in Holland only lasted for three years, the price for a single bulb was very high. People made great fortunes but some also lost everything they owned. Many books have been written on the subject.
Today many billions of tulip bulbs are grown in Holland. Most of them are exported to the rest of the world and most cut flower tulips come from Holland.
Tulips are easy to find, cheep and easy to arrange. You need a medium size vase, condition the flowers when you get home and leave them for a while in water. They will keep growing in the vase so you can be quite generous when you cut the ends off.
What you do with the leaves is personal taste. You can strip all leaves off for a more minimalistic look or you can leave a few to contrast the colour of the flowers.
When making this arrangement I was looking for contrast and lots of patterns. I love the contrast between the purply-pink flowers and the deep dark blue colour of the floral vintage vase and the retro blue dotty fabric.
The broken bits of china is just for fun. No, don't worry I have not smashed any china! They are bits that I have found in the garden and on Hampstead Heath. I have never been able to find an explanation to why there is so much broken china in north London, maybe landfill from the Second World War, I really don't know.
I hope you have had a great start to 2012.
Take care and have a great Monday!
xo Ingrid
25 comments:
Dear Ingrid,
today I bought my first tulips of the year !!!
Yours colour is so nice and with the blue PERFECT !!!
Have a great time, best wishes from avery cold germany,
Sanne
Å, nydelig. Du er så utrolig flink med farger.
En god dag og klem til deg :)
Hi Ingrid. my name is jodi and i run New Port Richey Florist. I was wondering if you have seen the Black tulip they have now created?
Un bouquet de tulipes prestigieux...
Vos photos sont sincèrement merveilleuses.
Une harmonie de couleurs qui a de quoi faire frémir Demoiselle Printemps.
Gros bisous
Gorgeous! Ingrid, I think you just made me crave spring. The colours are so full of life!
I will have to go find some lovely forced bulbs to keep me going. :)
Hi Ingrid,
Love your post! I enjoy having tulips and other spring flowers around the house too. They make January and February much more bearable :-)
There is an enormous choice of colours at the moment. I found it difficult to decide last Saturday which tulip to take home with me.
Wish you a good start of the New Year too!
Madelief x
Härliga bilder Ingrid! Skärvor av gammalt porslin är fint, alla dessa fantastiska mönster. Utställningen på Österlens museum kan du se det är museets nya fasta utställning om textilier och klädedräkt, så den finns kvar vare sig du kommer i sommar eller nästa:-)
kram Sophia
Le printemps illumine déjà ton magnifique blog grâce à ces tulipes.
Tack för dagens färgboost! Det behövs verkligen fräscha blommor och ljuvliga färger nu för att orka med vintern.
Kram
Hurrah for tulips in every color and even with parrot fringes on their petals!
Your arrangement really lets us have a fresh look at the deep purple variety. I love the spotty fabric, and envy you that old vase and the possibility of finding blue and white china shards on walks on the Heath.
Really lovely!
I heard somewhere that bulbs prices went so high in Holland (back then) that one special bulb could cost as much as a house. No wonder day lost everything it was really crazy bulb mania.
Beautiful pictures. Last tulip I bought looked just like yours and they never opened. I didn't know there is that kind of varieties which don't open at all. I don't know was my tulips like that or some other way damaged.
I love your vase.
Kram
Henrietta
So beautiful and joyful, Ingrid! I love the texture contrast of the broken china and the smooth tulips. And the colors are divine. Spring will be here soon!
Have a wonderful week ahead. xo – g
Du har verkligen lyckas få ihop färger och mönster jättesnyggt . De blåprickiga mot det lila och gröna så läckert .
Spännande det där med tulpanfebern som rådde i Holland , lite som guldgrävarNa i USA .
Kraam
Hello from France ! I love these purple tulips, they would perfectly fit my plates ! The contrasts of colours and textures are very interesting too ! Stéphanie
Åhhh.. så blått!
Underbara kombinationer, å så läckra 'detalj-foton'!
Här väntar vi på 'snökanonen' som väntas in över ostkusten
Ha en fin dag - Kram Eva
Åhh blått är så flott. Blåa tulpaner finns väl inte ännu, men deina lila är verkligen jättevackra.
I have the same candle holder but in green! :) Love the colour of tulips!
So very, very beautiful Ingrid!
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
Dearest sweet ingrid, loving your gorgeous blooms and that lovely china! Have a lovely merry happy week and love to you!
Great vase, beautiful! Nice photos of these wonderful flowers.
I had no idea that tulips are originally from the Middle East!
Lovely photographs, and such beautiful tulips!
Enjoy your weekend, Ingrid!
Hugs,
Zuzu
hello... thanks for visiting me :)
nice roken bits of china :)
magny
Hej Ingrid, kul att upptäcka din blogg också och inte bara alla dina fina bildsamlingar på Pinterest. Jag lägger genast till den i min bloglovin.
Ha det så bra på alla hjärtans dag!
Hälsningar Kristin
Beautiful combination of colours! Oh and I never knew there was a lot of broken china in London... what a wonderful discovery!
My favorite combo pink tulips and blue and white porcelain! Adorable!
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