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All these photos are Tulipa Fosteriana 'Pirand' - starting four days ago - the last one is today after an overnight rain. The bulbs are from Brent and Becky's Bulbs

The wildflower version of tulips were first cultivated in the year 1,000 by the Turks. The word tulip is Turkish for turban.
Tulips were introduced to Europeans in the late 1500s.

When the working class saw how much money the wealthy were making on tulip bulbs, they went into the business, creating a bubble economy. People hocked their farms, homes and businesses to invest - no one wanted to lose out or be left behind. By 1636 a tulip bulb sold for as much as a home cost in Amsterdam Holland at the time.

The tulip crash followed. People had worked, bought farms and homes and then sold them to invest in tulip futures, then called a wind trade.
The government, then, after so many people had lost everything, instituted regulations on the trade of tulips.

This Tulipa Pirand in the photos is a member of the Fosteriana (Foster Tulip) group, also called Emperor Tulips. Many are named in a way that points to their relationship: Emperor Orange, White Emperor, etc.

Foster tulips are originally from Turkestan, in an area now called Kazakhstan.
Fosteriana tulips are known for their bright colors and wide flowers.
Fosteriana and Emperor are used interchangeably by bulb sellers.

What's blooming where you are?

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