Eirene, I agree that tulips are beautiful, and have inspired beautiful art too. I am very fond of Iznik depictions of tulips. Unfortunately I do not have much luck growing tulips - in the past the deer have eaten them, chomping the buds before they have even opened. Also, one year's beauties never seem to return a following year. What I have decided will most likely be my last attempt has found my tiny species tulips half successful, but probably not worth it. I shall admire them from afar.
During one of our trips to Amsterdam we bought 150 bulbs. The first year they filled our garden and were wonderful. 1/5 came up the following year and none the year after. Someone told me it was the squirrels eating the bulbs, while someone else said that tulips only come up once a year - I don't know which is true, even though I guess, I could have looked it up...
Iznik depictions of tulips are beautiful, I agree, and I also love depictions of tulips in Dutch paintings.
The Dutch love tulips and it's not surprising, given the historical associations, and it's such a joy seeing what they do with tulips in their interiors. It's one of the many reasons why I love going to Holland so much.
Tulips are indeed difficult - I suppose that is part of their allure in history. Somehow I do not think of them as I do other plants - for me they are a kind of sculptural element. Did you love tulips before you were drawn to ceramics?
I must admit that I have never been to the Netherlands, despite loving the work of several of their painters. What I would dearly love to have seen is tulips growing wild in Turkey. I don't think that I ever saw then growing in the wild in Greece.
Have you read Anna Pavord's The Tulip? I have it, and have looked at the stunning illustrations, but must admit that I have never got round actually to reading it. There has always been too much else on my ever-growing reading list. Perhaps finally I must read the book this Spring.
Olga, I agree about the sculptural quality of tulips, and I guess that's why, historically, they have been so important.
Interesting comment about tulips and ceramics. The answer is no. I started being fascinated by, and loving tulips during our first visit to Amsterdam and this has increased over the years. I have not visited the tulip fields and I am not that interested to do so - it would just be fields of colour, and the lavender fields in France would hold more interest for me. I just love looking at each individual flower, at flower markets and shops in Amsterdam in particular - not only are they so beautiful, but they are also very cheap: 50 tulips tend to cost 7 euros. They are also everywhere in the shops and in people's homes: rare varieties (I love parrot tulips) and arranged tastefully, and oh so beautifully. The whole city pays tribute to the flower.
Never seen wild tulips in Greece either.
Thanks for the mention of Anna Pavord's book. I have just ordered it.
Indeed... Gorgeous image.
ReplyDeleteA dying tulip flower somehow holds more attraction for me than the bud or the new bloom, beautiful as they can be.
DeleteTulips are my favourite flower, and it's precisely because of this - they are beautiful at every stage of their cycle.
DeleteEirene, I agree that tulips are beautiful, and have inspired beautiful art too. I am very fond of Iznik depictions of tulips.
DeleteUnfortunately I do not have much luck growing tulips - in the past the deer have eaten them, chomping the buds before they have even opened. Also, one year's beauties never seem to return a following year. What I have decided will most likely be my last attempt has found my tiny species tulips half successful, but probably not worth it. I shall admire them from afar.
During one of our trips to Amsterdam we bought 150 bulbs. The first year they filled our garden and were wonderful. 1/5 came up the following year and none the year after. Someone told me it was the squirrels eating the bulbs, while someone else said that tulips only come up once a year - I don't know which is true, even though I guess, I could have looked it up...
ReplyDeleteIznik depictions of tulips are beautiful, I agree, and I also love depictions of tulips in Dutch paintings.
The Dutch love tulips and it's not surprising, given the historical associations, and it's such a joy seeing what they do with tulips in their interiors. It's one of the many reasons why I love going to Holland so much.
Tulips are indeed difficult - I suppose that is part of their allure in history. Somehow I do not think of them as I do other plants - for me they are a kind of sculptural element. Did you love tulips before you were drawn to ceramics?
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I have never been to the Netherlands, despite loving the work of several of their painters. What I would dearly love to have seen is tulips growing wild in Turkey. I don't think that I ever saw then growing in the wild in Greece.
Have you read Anna Pavord's The Tulip? I have it, and have looked at the stunning illustrations, but must admit that I have never got round actually to reading it. There has always been too much else on my ever-growing reading list. Perhaps finally I must read the book this Spring.
Olga, I agree about the sculptural quality of tulips, and I guess that's why, historically, they have been so important.
DeleteInteresting comment about tulips and ceramics. The answer is no. I started being fascinated by, and loving tulips during our first visit to Amsterdam and this has increased over the years. I have not visited the tulip fields and I am not that interested to do so - it would just be fields of colour, and the lavender fields in France would hold more interest for me. I just love looking at each individual flower, at flower markets and shops in Amsterdam in particular - not only are they so beautiful, but they are also very cheap: 50 tulips tend to cost 7 euros. They are also everywhere in the shops and in people's homes: rare varieties (I love parrot tulips) and arranged tastefully, and oh so beautifully. The whole city pays tribute to the flower.
Never seen wild tulips in Greece either.
Thanks for the mention of Anna Pavord's book. I have just ordered it.