Although the name of tulip is usually associated with Holland, it actually came from the Central Asia where it grew wild. Turkish growers first cultivated tulips as early as 1,000 AD. The tulip flower was unknown in the Western Europe until the 17th century, when it was introduced by a famous Austrian biologist Carolus Clusius. He got the bulbs from his Turkish friend and called tulips after the Turkish word for turban.

There are thousands of types of tulips in a variety of colors, both delicate and rich. Parrot, Darwin, Lily-flowered, Cottage, Breeder, and Late Double ' these names refer to flower shapes as well as colors of the petals.

The common method to group tulips is by blooming time and flower height. Tulips range from early and mid season to late season flowering, and by heights they vary from short (less than 8 inches tall), to medium and tall (over 18 inches tall). These varieties allow you to create a unique and long lasting display in your garden.

Tulips must be planted in the late fall or in early winter in a loose, well-drained soil. The biggest and youngest bulbs naturally produce the best flowers. If you plant tulips under the shade of deciduous trees they will bloom later than those planted in a sunny spot. Fertilizer should be well dissolved in water and applied above the bulbs without touching them. If you water tulips early when buds are rising, you'll get larger blooms, and taller stems.