Vol 3-1
Tulip Mania
Tulips are among the earliest of flowers to poke through the ground and welcome spring. They tend to be a little later to bloom than snowdrops, crocuses, and daffodils. But when tulips bloom the statement is quite clear; Spring is here.
Once upon a time, there was a tulip considered more beautiful than any other. Semper Augustus was the most desired of all tulips during the tulip trading boom which accelerated from 1634 until the bust in February 1637. In exchange with the Ottoman Empire, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables came to Europe in the 16th century. The first tulips arrived in Europe, Vienna, from the Ottoman Empire in 1554. Varieties were cultivated to withstand harsh winters and soon grew in popularity among nobility and newly wealthy merchants. The vivid colors and many varieties were treasured wealth symbols.
Those who cultivated the tulips gave them notable names, often naming after themselves,
i.e. The Viceroy. The bulb trade was categorized in a four groups, Couleren: single hued tulips of red, yellow or white, Rosen: white accents on pink or red flowers, Violetten: white streaks on purple hued flowers, and Bizarden: yellow or white flames on red, brown or purple flowers. It was the Bizarden which was the most exotic and coveted. Later it was discovered that their admirable striations were caused by a virus, thus they were particularly difficult to propagate and the Semper Augustus no longer exists.
Tulip Mania was history's first speculative bubble centered around tulip bulbs which remain an emblem of the Netherlands today. Modern economists have speculated that the rise and fall of tulip prices can be explained by a fascination with a new flower, a similar trend was seen in hyacinth trading shortly after or by increased supply lowering demand. Given that the bust had little effect on the overall economy of the Dutch Republic, it is also speculated that the Tulip Mania was somewhat of a pub pastime among a small group of speculative traders.
Today, Dutch Tulips are not only an emblem of spring and Dutch culture, but also drive spring tourism in the Netherlands.
Today, Dutch Tulips are not only an emblem of spring and Dutch culture, but also drive spring tourism in the Netherlands.
Without traveling overseas, one can experience colorful fields of tulips in Holland, Michigan.
Holland boasts a windmill imported from the Netherlands now standing tall over the Windmill Island Gardens on the Macatawa River. The gardens bloom annually with fields of tulips. With the annual tulip bloom comes the Tulip Time Festival and Parade. Not only does Windmill Island bloom, the streets of Holland and campus of Hope College are lined with colorful tulips each spring.
At the end of the spring tulip bloom, Holland hosts a fundraising Tulip Dig. At The Dig, participants are given instructions on proper bulb extraction and, at the shot of the starting gun, race to fill their buckets with all of the bulbs they can carry. The bulbs are only $5 per bucket. The Tulip Dig is a fun way to wrap up the blub flower growing season as well as to promote tulips in garden beds across the region.
Much more locally, Chicago has beautiful tulip beds along the famed Michigan Avenue, in Grandmother's Garden in Lincoln Park, and at the Botanic Garden.
Beloved are the harbingers of spring and the summer to come.
Upcoming Events
Garden Opening: Sunday May 1st, 2022
garden will be opening after another chilly winter. We are hoping for a sunny day to kick off the 2022 growing season. We will have more information regarding opening procedures in the bag drop with opening supplies, scheduled for Saturday, April 30th. In the meantime, you may wish to dust off your gardening gloves and make a plan or start some seedlings. You can find more information about Garden Opening on our website Resources page.
If you would like to be help opening your plot, Support Crew will be available to help:
Sunday, May 1st: 9AM-11AM
Thursday, May 5th: 4PM-6PM
Building Community
The goal to foster personal connections is highlighted in the mission statement of the Imperial Towers Community Garden. In order to do so, we hope to facilitate many opportunities to share about yourself and learn about fellow gardeners. All gardeners, especially those who are new this year, are invited to submit a Gardener Spotlight. Those who have previously submitted a Spotlight may update or resubmit their responses. The questionnaire can be copied into an email and submitted to imperialtowerscommunitygarden@gmail.com.
Gardener Spotlights will be highlighted in our monthly newsletter.
In addition, Join us on Facebook!
Your community cannot wait to meet you.
Early Planting Guide
Opening day in our garden will be Sunday, May 1st. In anticipation for spring gardening there is quite a bit of excitement and planning to address. Getting a garden going can be a bit tricky. Spring temperatures can be finicky. Planting sun loving summer plants like tomatoes, peppers, and squash too early will likely yield disappointing results. Use this quick planting guide to make your plan for the month of April. These herbs and vegetables are a good bet:
Arugula
Basil
Beets
Butterhead Lettuce
Carrots
Chives
Dill
Parsley
Peas
Radish
Romaine Lettuce
Spinach
Turnips
Especially because our garden can be quite windy, it is recommended that a bit of "ground cover" is planted. Herbs and lettuces serve well as ground cover.
Fresh from the Garden Recipes -
Roasted Asparagus Salad
Ingredients:
Salad:
8oz Asparagus
5oz Arugula
1 cup shaved cucumber
1/2 cup Blue Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Dressing:
6oz Blackberries
1/4c White Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Honey
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1tsp Fresh Thyme leaves (minced)
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
pinch Salt
Directions:
Dressing:
Muddle the Blackberries.
Add Vinegar, Olive Oil, Honey, Garlic, Thyme, Salt & Pepper
Salad:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Wash and trim the asparagus
Arrange the asparagus spears in a row on a lined baking sheet. Leave as little space as possible between spears.
Sprinkle Blue Cheese on top of the Asparagus
Add Salt & Pepper
Roast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the Blue Cheese begins to brown.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Peel the cucumber.
Shave 3" ribbons of cucumber into a medium size bowl. Marinade Cucumber in Blackberry Vinaigrette.
Add Arugula to salad bowl. Top with marinated Cucumber. Top with Roasted Asparagus Spears. Drizzle with remaining Blackberry Vinaigrette if desired.
Enjoy!
Ask Rose
Dear Rose,
It's been a long winter, I'm ready for some flowers. I loved watching the butterflies flutter amongst the flowers last year. What would you recommend for early flowering wild flowers?
Please help!
-Wildflower Wishes
Dear Wildflower Wishes,
The weather is the biggest factor in how early wild flowers will bloom. In the event that we have some sunny and warmer weather, we could see blooms just 6 weeks after planting. Some hearty flower seeds that can be planted on opening day include:
Bachelor buttons
Calendula
Poppies, especially somniferum (opuim) poppies
Dandelion
Love-in-a-Mist
Pansies and Violas
Stocks
Cheers to successful growing,
Rose
Find more helpful hints for opening your garden on our Resources page.
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