Getting tulips delivered to your home is such a treat! These delightful blooms can really perk up your space. But arranging tulips involves more than just dropping the bouquet directly into a vase. Here are some tips on how to arrange tulips in a vase to maximize their beauty.
Fun Facts About Tulips
You may already know about the symbolism of tulips being rebirth and unyielding, perfect love, but did you know:
- Tulips are part of the lily family
- There are more than 150 species of tulips with over 3,000 varieties
- While tulips are native to central Asia, they first became popular in modern-day Turkey around 1000 AD before causing Tulip Mania in the Netherlands in 1636
- Tulip flower buds are almost perfectly symmetrical
- Tulips come in almost every color
- If you cut tulips, they can grow an additional 2-3 inches in the vase
- These flowers bloom for less than a week each spring
- Tulip petals are edible
Brief History of Tulip Cultivation Around the World
Tulips originated in one of the most inaccessible places on Earth, the remote valleys of the Tian Shan Mountains, where China and Tibet meet the borders of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The primarily red wild tulips spoke to the native tribes inhabiting the region. These Turkic tribes likely traded the first bulbs or seeds to Persia, where tulips were grown in Isfahan and Baghdad by 1050 AD.
The Ottoman Turks then likely spread tulip cultivation westward to Constantinople, where European ambassadors probably picked up and shipped out tulips. Tulips were flowering in Germany by 1559, and the relative ease with which tulips could be hybridized led to their popularity spreading throughout Europe.
How to Unbox and Prepare a Tulip Bouquet
Your tulip bouquet has been delivered – now what?
First, bring the box inside as soon as you can. Tulips tend to get dehydrated, so they need prompt attention. Don’t worry about the delivery driver not bothering to knock – The Bouqs Co. will send you an email as soon as they’re delivered!
As soon as you take them out of the box, use sharp scissors cut each stem at a 45° angle, and place it in water for about an hour to rehydrate before you arrange the bouquet.
PS: You may be wondering: How long do tulips last? If you care for them properly, cut tulips can last up to 10 days.
How to Arrange Tulips
Once you rehydrate your tulips, cut or peel off any excess leaves that would fall below the waterline. Foliage can contaminate the water and kill the tulips, so you don’t want to skip this step.
Special note: Tall, skinny vases best display tulip floral arrangements because they help keep the bloom upright and prevent excess sagging.
Create a fuller-looking arrangement by placing each stem in an alternating pattern around a clean vase filled with fresh water.
Fill in holes as you go, but know that tulip Bouqs arrive in bud form, so be sure to leave enough space between each blossom for them all to bloom.
Since tulip stems continue to grow after being cut, make sure to trim the stem every couple of days to prevent them from growing too tall and drooping.
Varieties of Tulips
With more than 3,000 varieties, there is a tulip for every taste. Here are some of the most popular varieties of tulips for flower arrangements.
Parrot Tulips
Resembling the wings of their namesake, parrot tulips feature heavily fringed and scalloped blooms. The big, full blooms are frequently depicted in European floral paintings. Most parrot tulips are mutations from Triumph and single late tulips.
Greigii Tulips
Purple-striped or purple-mottled Greigii Tulips look stunning both before and after they bloom since the chalice-shaped flowers open wide enough to reveal the interior colors. This tulip variety is much loved in Europe since it creates vivid compact designs.
Double Tulips
Double tulips, also sometimes known as peony tulips, have multiple layers of petals, making them resemble peonies rather than tulips. As cut flowers, double tulips often last longer than other tulip varieties.
Darwin Hybrid Tulips
Among the best perennial varieties, Darwin Hybrid Tulips typically perform well for several years in a garden. When cut, these tulips have strong stems and long-lasting flowers in a variety of brilliant colors.
Triumph Tulips
The largest group of tulips with the widest range of colors is the Triumph variety. These beauties grow well in containers as long as they are protected from freezing. They usually grow 10-16 inches tall.
Species Tulips
Suitable for heirloom gardens, Species Tulips are among the oldest tulip bulb varieties and resemble the original tulips with their small size relative to large, showy hybrids. These perennials will return every year as long as they have enough drainage.
Viridiflora Tulips
Viridiflora Tulips have green flowers, often in combination with a complementary color. These long-blooming varieties are considered a novelty with refined beauty.
Fosteriana Tulips
More common in Europe than in the United States, Fosteriana Tulips have extremely large, long flowers in vivid colors. They’re among the best tulips for perennializing and bloom early with daffodils.
Fringed Tulips
Also known as “Crispa” Tulips, Fringed Tulip flower petals have edges with finely cut fringes. They are relatively late bloomers compared to other tulip varieties.
Single Early Tulips
As the name suggests, single early tulips bloom sooner in the spring than most other tulip varieties. The cooler weather allows them to bloom longer, too.
Single Late Tulips
The single-flowered late tulips are sturdy and have large, smooth chalices on long stems, making them excellent for cutting.
“French” Single Late Tulips
The French variety of single late tulips tends to grow taller and have distinct, oblong-shaped flowers. They’re long-lasting with tall stems, making them ideal for arrangements.
Lily-Flowered Tulips
Offering a distinctive goblet-shaped profile, Lily-Flowered Tulips are elegant, graceful blooms with pointed, reflexed petals. These long-lasting tulips are excellent for bouquets.
Kaufmanniana Tulips
Long-lived perennials, Kaufmanniana Tulips bloom early and open wide like a water lily. Some varieties have striped or mottled foliage.
Order a Beautiful Tulip Arrangement Today
Now that you’re enjoying your own tulip arrangement, spread the joy and send beautiful arrangements to your family and friends, too!
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