THE INCREDIBLE PHOTOTROPIC TULIP

Fresh Tulip Design Styles from Holland to Try at Home

Sally Ferguson, Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center

This Valentine�s Day, buy her flowers and she will probably be moved. How much better would it be if the flowers moved, too? If you agree, then tulips are for you. While most cut flowers are the definition of static, just setting there �til it�s time to retire, cut tulips continue to shimmy and shake in the vase.

That�s just one of the interesting tulip tips available at www.savedbythebud.com, a site designed to provide �clueless guys� with all they need to know concerning women and flowers. As to why cut tulips move in the vase: unlike other cut flowers, tulips keep growing taller after being cut, plus their phototropic qualities makes them curve towards light, while gravity tugs at the large flowers. With all this going on, tulips seem to dance! Once arranged, they are likely to rearrange themselves.

One must admire flowers with minds of their own.� Girls apparently do, as cut tulips are edging up on roses as a Valentine�s favorite.

To keep tulips static in the vase, tuck flowers in tight, with the flower heads just looming over the rim. Hugged together like this, the flower heads present an appealing mass of intense color. To many, this design flies in the face of the longtime floral design tradition that puts the ideal flowers-to-vase proportion at 2/3 flowers to 1/3 vase. Of course, this bad boy posture is part of the new look�s appeal!

When short winter days turn somber, simple treats like brightly colored tulips, bring cheer. The best news is that January through April is peak season for cut tulips, when they are most abundant at local supermarkets and floral shops, with quality optimal selections and prices appealingly affordable.

Cut tulips need no fancy floral knowledge.� Arranging them is easy: Just trim the stems and pop them in a vase.� Tulips are thirsty flowers, so add fresh water as needed.� Then, watch them dance.

For floral tips geared to guys: www.savedbythebud.com
For tulip tips: www.bulb.com