The humble tulip has always been a favourite spring bulb and was first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1,000 AD.

The flower was introduced into Europe in the 17th century by Carolus Clusius, who was a botanist from Vienna.  The flower is called ‘tulip’ after the Turkish word for turban.

At the beginning of the 17th century they started to be used in gardens for aesthetic instead of medicinal purposes and they soon gained massive popularity, especially in Holland.  The interest in the flower became so great that bulbs changed hands for enormous sums of money, with hybrids and rare varieties sometimes costing more than a house in the Netherlands!

  Tulip ‘Purple Dream’

Traders made huge amounts of money, but like all good things it came to an end due to oversupply.  This led to lower prices and many dealers went bankrupt and people lost their life savings.

  Tulip ‘Johann Strauss’

Today tulips no longer reach the prices of the 17th century and can be bought and admired by us all.  The best place to see them at their best is Keukenhof where over seven million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are planted.

  Tulip ‘Spring Green’

Tulips can give some fantastic spring colour in your gaden.  Our pick ‘n’ mix tulips are £7.29 a bag or 2 or more bags £6.25 per bag.

All these tulips are available as part of our Pick ‘n’ Mix range, allowing you to create a collage of colour!