Just in – Tasmanian Tulips
With the Tassie tulip season coming into full swing it’s time to tip-toe through the tulips in all Hill Street stores!
What are they?
Traditionally a spring blooming perennial belonging to the genus Tulipa and the lily family (Lilliaceae), they’re beloved for their large, showy and intensely colourful blooms. Native to Central Asia and Turkey, they were introduced into Europe in the 16th century by the Dutch and caused the world’s first economic bubble, when ‘tulip-mania’ broke out and bulbs were sold for astronomical prices.
Who supplies them?
In Tasmania they’re grown on the North-West Coast by our supplier Flowerdale Flowers, owned and run by Rob Sadler, a second-generation flower grower, and his famiy. They grow their tulips in rich volcanic soil 4km outside of Wynyard, under polytunnels, which allows them to come into bloom a little earlier than those grown without cover.
Rob says that with Wynyard’s cool climate, his flowers can grow slowly and not be subjected to heat or humidity at any point in the supply chain. Being grown in Tasmania, they aren’t fumigated or dipped in herbicide like imported flowers. And they also get to market quickly, especially those sold in Tasmania through Hill Street – which gives them great vase life.
Read all about Rob’s family business in our full interview, here.
Why we love them
🌷 They come in beautiful bright colours – pinks, oranges, purples, yellows, oranges and reds, as well as white and pale pastels. Their pale green leaves are a beautiful contrast to their vibrant blossoms.
🌷 We also have Flowerdale’s lovely parrot tulips which have frilled petal edges and can be striped in two colours!
🌷 They last really well in the vase – for more than a week, especially our Flowerdale tulips which generally come into our stores the day after they’re picked.
Where do you get them?
All Hill Street stores. And from next week, bunches of tulips are only $30 a bunch (that’s a saving of $5), for two weeks or while stocks last. See our Weekly Catalogue for details.
Or shop Hill Street Flowers online, with bouquets created by own talented florists onsite at Sandy Bay, Longford, Devonport and West Hobart.