The subject of our October meeting was "Tulip Mania", and was kindly given by Lesley Chamberlain. Tulip Mania refers to the massive interest in Tulips in Holland, in the early 17th Century, resulting in the first recognised economic "bubble". Some rare tulip bulbs could command up to 10 times a skilled craftsman's annual salary, and many fortunes were made and then quickly lost when the bubble suddenly burst.Particularly expensive types included the striped varieties (actually created through tulip mosaic virus.) The effect of the "bubble" was so great that even today we still associate Holland as the land of the tulip.
Incidentally, do remember that we have introduced a few tulip classes to the Spring Challenge against Godstone. They are ideal planted in pots (which means they can be moved into the sun or back into the shade to speed them up or slow them down as the competition draws near), and would make a very good introduction to showing if any members would like to give it a go! They also look pretty, and huge numbers of types and colours are available. If youu grow them in pots, they can also be moved into a prominent position when in flower and then moved back to a more hidden place once the main show is over.
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