100 things challenge - 2: Tulips

[birdienl]

Tulips, which many people, both from The Netherlands and abroad think of as something typically Dutch, are originally not Dutch at all! Their native range is Southern Europe, North Africa and from Iran to the Northwest of China. In the 16th century an ambassador for Turkey send some tulip seeds to Vienna and thus introduced the flower in Western Europe. 

In The Netherlands, the flower became a success in the mid-17th century, in the so-called Golden Age of Dutch Republic. During the tulip mania from 1634 onwards, prices for the flower reached extraordinary high prices. In 1637, the market collapsed. This tulip mania is by some historians seen as the first example of an 'economic bubble'.

Despite this, The Netherlands became and is still one of the dominant countries in the cultivation and export of this flower (which I really love BTW!!)

Comments

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

I love tulips too :)

[mystery-spell.livejournal.com]

Tulips have always been one of my favorite types of flowers. Beautiful!

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Who doesn't, right?!

[miss-peg.livejournal.com]

I actually had no idea the tulip had such roots (LOL!) or that it was considered by many as native to the Netherlands. I don't know why but I always thought it was a typical British flower, I guess because we have them here a lot in the spring. It's interesting to learn more about them, I didn't realise they originated from so far away!

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Typically British? No, no girl! It's ours ;-)

[miss-peg.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, actually...it's not. ;) #justsaying Now I know, so it's okay. Though ignorance is bliss when flowers are involved. :D

[msantimacassar.livejournal.com]

How cool is that! I read a novel ages ago about the growing of tulips in Turkey but now I cannot remember the details. Ha, this is going to bug me now...