Who would have believed it...The Tulip was actually originally a wild flower growing in Central Asia. It was first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1000AD. Mania in Turkey struck in the 16th century, at the time of the Ottoman Empire, when the Sultan demanded cultivation of particular blooms for his pleasure then there was no looking back.
Then tulips came to the Netherlands, all the world went mad. A sailor who mistook a rare tulip bulb for an onion and ate it with his herring sandwich was charged with a felony and thrown in prison. A bulb named Semper Augustus, notable for its flame-like white and red petals, sold for more than the cost of a mansion in a fashionable Amsterdam neighborhood, complete with coach and garden. As the tulip market grew, speculation exploded, with traders offering exorbitant prices for bulbs that had yet to flower. And then, as any financial bubble will do, the tulip market imploded, sending traders of all incomes into ruin.
Since then our choice has become endless, I for one cannot get enough of them and have already planned my planting, I just love to see drifts of single colours to create maximum impact, and if you want the best choice now is the time to look.
https://www.sarahraven.com/ offer a wonderful selection presented to you in colours and then collections to make your life easier https://www.farmergracy.co.uk/ another favourite
of mine will offer slightly unusual choice, with both be bold choose your colour palette then remember tulips really need to be planted in blocks of 5 at least for a wow on colour impact, ( my all time favorite featured below Tulipe Florosa )
Take time to consider your location for planting and then work your volumes required, there is nothing worst than the odd tulip dotted around the garden displays should take your breath away to be at their best
Below are a few palette suggestions I have used and the last picture is a border in my own garden.........
