In The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas (the father of the more famous Dumas who wrote The Count of Monte Cristo), an entire town in the Netherlands is struck by tulip mania.
these members of the lily family still appear in luminous colors, with large and bright globes floating on improbably thin and graceful stems, looking like museum-quality baubles from ancient empires.
Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
For more, see Garden Visit: The Tulips of Hawthorn Cottage. Of all the varieties of tulip cultivated across the Middle East and Europe, one might assume the multicolored tulips with their intricate veining were most precious.
For more, see Shopper’s Diary: Flowers by Miss Pickering.
Photograph by Miss Pickering.
Plant in autumn, in dry or even sandy soil (remember the tulip’s origins) spaced four to six inches apart.
Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
Cheat Sheet
Photograph by Meredith Swinehart.
Planning next spring’s garden? See Garden Design: 10 Favorite Tulips to Plant for Spring.