Plant now for Tulip Day: garden flowers

Europe: Netherlands' tulip mania

The tulip flower reigns supreme as the ultimate harbinger of spring. One awakens one late winter day expecting to gaze once again upon a frozen terrain, but one spies a leafy hint of green. Could it be?

A sign of hope for warmer and more colorful days to come! To achieve this late winter miracle, gardeners will need to plan ahead.

If the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second best is right NOW, then the best time to plant a tulip bulb is usually about four to five months before this fateful day.

However, exactly when to purchase and plant tulip bulbs can vary substantially depending on one's climate zone. If someone doesn't know what her USDA plant hardiness zone is, she can identify it with a zip code via the helpful 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Once s/he has this piece of information, that person can double-check it with a local bulb supplier to know exactly when to plant. More: msn.com

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Tulip Mania hits European nation

Tulip Day is observed every year on May 13th. It is a day to celebrate tulips, which are brightly colored, spring-blooming flowers. [Plant NOW for best results.] Tulips originated in Buddhist Central Asia, where they grew wild, though cultivation of the flower began in Turkey (Anatolia) around 1000 A.D. From then on, they became highly prized in the Ottoman Empire, such that they were specially cultivated for the pleasure of the Sultan. The flower’s sojourn to Europe took place in the 16th century when they were planted in the Netherlands for medicinal purposes. [This resulted in tulip mania]. Today, tulips are still heavily associated with the European country. More