By Charlene Ashborn
|
Everyday, I like to wander through my yard, enjoying my own piece of nature. My daily vigils have assumed a new importance since January when I planted some 40-plus tulip bulbs. Having diligently tracked their progress, as of this writing, only five bulbs have made their presence known; however, my fiancée assures me that they’ll all sprout as the days grow steadily warmer. Like most people, I’ve always associated tulips with Holland, renowned for centuries as the tulip capitol of the world. I was surprised to learn that tulips are not native to Holland but are thought to have originated near present-day Afghanistan. Traders introduced the bulbs to the ancient Turkish Ottoman (Persian) Empire where they were grown as far back as 1000 CE. The plant’s initial association with this area is believed to have led to its name, with the Persian toliban and the Latin tulipa both translating to turban, a regional head covering some thought the flower resembled. Decades of trading with the Persian Empire introduced tulips to Europe, with the plants found only in the gardens of the very wealthy. In the 1590s, botanist Carolus Clusius, known for his research with medicinal herbs, accepted a position with the University of Leiden. Clusius relocated to Holland, bringing with him bulbs he obtained while working for the Imperial Court of Austria, thus introducing tulips to Holland. |
By the early 1600s, tulips found their way into Dutch gardens, their medicinal value becoming secondary to their beauty. With Clusius and other horticulturists developing new varieties, tulips, especially those sporting stripes or streaks, blossomed into a status symbol coveted by the Dutch middle and upper classes. By the 1630s, less expensive varieties had been developed, affording those on the lower end of Holland’s economy to join their wealthier neighbors in the buying and growing of tulips. As demand for the most coveted tulips continued to grow, so did their price. Soon, tulip bulbs became a valued commodity on the Dutch market, bought and sold for enormous sums. In 1636-37, tulip trading reached frenzied proportions, reminiscent of the dot.com fever we experienced in the mid-1990s. Buyers would purchase promissory notes guaranteeing future delivery of the bulb(s), then reselling the notes for more than they paid. To make money, the notes had to be sold before the bulbs, worth less than the notes themselves, could be delivered. By February 1637, tulips grew prohibitively expensive. Despite efforts by the government to stabilize prices, the tulip market crashed. With the government voiding all tulip contracts later that year, tulip speculation ended. Tulips resumed their status as an attractive addition to one’s garden, including, I hope, mine. |