Tulips – locally grownYvette

TNB Tulips are one of if not the largest growers of Tulips in Victoria for the commercial cut flower industry. Els Bakker is the lady who runs the very impressive high tech facility in the Dandenongs just outside of Melbourne. Els comes from a long lineage of flower growers in Australia and the Netherlands, which is where her precious bulbs originate. Each year we visit Els and her team with our Floristry Career Change course students and each time we are blown away by her dedication to bringing the industry new and even more exquisite varieties of tulips.

See below for more information on Tulips on images from our time with El at TNB Tulips

Common name Tulip

Botanical name Tulipa hybrida

How to tell it’s good quality..

Choose well coloured buds and flowers that are partly open

Look for strong stems and glossy leaves with no signs of damage or yellowing

Avoid drooping or wilting leaves or flowers

Products or arrangements it’s suitable for, stem length..

Stem length 30cm–80cm

Mostly suitable in vases but can be used in foam

 Conditioning, care and storage needs..

Split the bunches and strip the lower leaves, then wash the ends of the stems well

Cut 2cm–4cm from each stem with secateurs and put the stems in cold water with NO preservative

Replace the water daily

Keep them cool

It is suggested not to bucket them with daffodils or jonquils unless you have had the daffodils or jonquils quarantined in their own water for a day first

To prevent tulips turning to the light and becoming bent, wrap them in paper for support and put the wrapped paper and tulips in cold water for 3–5 hours.  Once displayed in a vase they work beautifully in a well lit room with windows on both sides of the room.

Colours they come in..

White

Red

Yellow

Cream

Purple

Orange

Pink