Tulips: Beautiful Varieties for Home and Garden

by Jane Eastoe, Rachel Warne (Photographer)

From the tulip fields of Netherlands to your garden flower patch, tulips are loved the world over. Jane Eastoe’s passion for gardening and Rachel Werne’s spectacular photography combine to showcase these gorgeous bulbs and show that anyone can grow and enjoy tulips at home. Tulips have more than 3,000 variations and their diverse textures mean that they can work anywhere, from vases to garden plots, from romantic bouquets to wedding boutonnieres. Along with the fascinating history of the flowers, Tulips details more than 50 of the most beautiful varieties, detailing when they bloom, their size, and, of course, what they’ll look like. From the raspberry swirl of Zurel and the petticoat-like frills of Weber’s Parrot, to the crystal rim of the Mascotte and the flaming petals of the Fabio tulip, you’ll discover a stunning range of specimens to grow, including historical and contemporary varieties. With engaging commentary on each bloom, easy-to-follow advice and glorious photography, this book will appeal to everyone who appreciates the majesty of the tulip.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference

240 pages, Hardcover

Published April 9, 2019

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who reads a book about tulip varieties cover to cover? Apparently, me. I knew a bit about tulip mania and the tulip market, but I didn’t know how long it takes to breed a new variety, or that the coloring of many of the Rembrandt tulips that are featured in so many Dutch Masters paintings were a result of a virus (and they can’t be sold anymore). One tulip’s coloring was created by exposing it to radiation in the ‘50s. Eek! A fascinating read, if not for the flowers themselves, then for the weird lengths humans will go to for aesthetic variation.

[Marlise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunningly beautiful book. I glanced through it in a bookshop last year and have pined for my own copy ever since. So I bit the bullet and decided to purchase it along with 2 others in a gorgeous collection of coffee-table garden books. Not only are they beautiful, but after reading every word, I learned much from them, too.

[LUTING CHEN · Rating 3 out of 5]

some interesting story about mosaic virus. varieties are noting new to me.

[Ray's Artshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

On pp.198-9 there is a double page photograph showing a bouquet of the tulip 'Queensland'. A riot of coconut ice, these fantasy flowers ought to be given to Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes.

This book for tulip-lovers is filled with pictures of pinked, crimped, billowing, tapering petals that seem to provoke similar descriptions from the author: tulip 'La Belle Époque' is compared to "1930s silk lingerie"; tulip 'Parrot Negrita' is "like a 1950s couture ballgown" while tulip 'Orange Favourite' is "an exquisite sorbet". (Correct on all counts.)

There is, besides the gorgeous photography, much useful advice on lifting & forcing bulbs, etc.