Most of us like to walk away after putting a plant in the ground, having made sure in advance that it has a good chance of surviving unaided. Right plant, right place—it’s a sensible mantra, made famous by the late Beth Chatto. Tulips, though, do not fall into this category, especially if you don’t live in the well-drained, mountainous conditions where the various species thrive. Tulip cultivars, pampered most famously in 17th century Holland, still have the reputation of a rich person’s amusement: They need to be replaced every year, if they haven’t already self-immolated from tulip fire (a fungal disease).
With smaller, simpler species tulips growing in popularity (they naturalize well, and are reliably perennial) it’s a reasonable question why anybody would want to get involved with Historic Tulips (historics), whether classed as Dutch Breeder or Broken, or the super-rarefied sub-group, not even available on the open market, called English Florists’. Our contributing photographer Britt Willoughby is one of those people. Below, she explains her obsession:
Photography by Britt Willoughby.
Britt’s sumptuous show of art prints (on display until February at Thyme at Southrop, Gloucestershire) includes platinum prints, the expensive and painstaking process pioneered in the 19th century, and continued by art photographers due to its ravishing effect. “The platinum process started in the 1800s when English Florists’ tulips were being bred,” says Britt, who decided to apply this rarefied process only to these most rarefied, contemporary subjects. A limited edition, two-volume book, set by hand and printed at Rooksmoor Press in Stroud, is also part of her offering. This enthusiastic attention to detail and quality is an insight into Britt’s obsession with a flower that begins to die (beautifully) as soon as it starts to bloom.
Flaming and feathering is caused by a virus. When a tulip begins to “break” it is a source of some excitement, as well as anxiety. Tulips change every day when they are growing, and a break adds to their visual intrigue as the markings spread (or not) over the petals.
Tulip Breaking Virus was discovered in the 1920s, almost 300 years after the great tulip craze in the Netherlands. Spread by aphids, it is a more prosaic explanation for the entrancing markings of certain blooms. “It can happen any time,” says Britt. “I think my carelessness in the beginning led to almost all my Dutch bulbs breaking.” The virus can weaken affected bulbs over time and broken tulips need to be separated from the rest.
Dutch historics that are feathered and flamed through breeding are on the open market. Also known as Rembrandts, Britt buys hers (plus bulbs in solid colors) from Jacques Amand.
“With the English Florists’ tulips I’m much more meticulous, keeping every single one separate,” says Britt. “My feeling is that they’re so rare, I can’t muck this up.” Money does not change hands when they are distributed among members of the venerable Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society; it works more like a lottery. “If you’re showing at the Tulip Society, they encourage you to grow more because they want more people to enter. It’s a bit like showing a dog at Crufts.”
Keeping breeder tulips away from broken tulips is as simple as separating bulbs for a garden color scheme, Britt argues. Tulip fanatics are essentially holding up the horticultural standards held dear by head gardeners and grandparents from days gone by. “I love the fact that you can’t buy them,” says Britt. An internet search is not very edifying either.
“This spring, I had a few English Florists’ that flowered, and I took three for the novice class. Sometimes they don’t award anything if none of them reach standard. And it just so happened that this one was in the running, which was a real surprise.”
The judges look at the way a tulip feathers at the edges, and how the vertical flame marks the center. “It has to be as close to the specifications as possible,” says Britt. “I’ve got so much to learn, but when you get one that is slightly hitting the mark, well, that’s exciting.”
Britt Willoughby’s art prints are on show in a selling exhibition at Thyme, in the English Cotswolds. See Britt’s website for the limited edition book.
See also:
- Gardener’s Dilemma: To Tulip or Not to Tulip
- Spring on a Plate: Tulip Petals for an Exquisitely Pretty Snack
- The Garden Decoder: What Does It Mean to ‘Naturalize’ Bulbs?
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