Flower of the month: tulips

This month’s flower is the tulip, which to me, just symbolizes May like no other flower. In my opinion,  a Mother’s Day arrangement would not be complete without them. I’ve been loving seeing tulips all over--in neighbors' yards, at markets, at public gardens, etc.

These flowers have been cultivated in Holland for so long that most of the world is under the mistaken impression that the tulip is a Dutch native. In reality, they originated around the area of central Asia (now Turkey) and were brought to The Netherlands in the 1500s.

They come in all colors except blue.

Vase life is about five days. The French variety will last seven days or longer.

As for an arranging tip, tulips continue to grow after they’ve been cut. So it’s a must to leave enough room for them in the vessel to grow.

Photos I took last week of tulips at the Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL.