Rembrandt Tulips from GG's Garden

Well, I don't really have a garden.  I have small flower beds scattered around my yard.  Several years ago, I purchased both red and pink colored tulips.  Every year, one of the red bulbs bloomed with yellow stripes.

Thanks to Richard Weber, owner of Springhilll Gardens, I now know the history of this interesting tulips. (Springhouse Gardens is located at 6041 Harrodsburg Rd Nicholasville, KY). 

I have completely ignored this lonely, odd bulb until this spring, when a patch of my pink bulbs from my front yard ... also bloomed with stripes. Their interesting stripes really caught my attention. These tulips have never bloomed with stripes before. Could it be the really harsh winter we had this year?  Did the stripes occured due to our lawn being sprayed by a chemical company accidently. (Twice this past summer, a lawn care company accidently treated our yard instead of a neighbors.)  

Well according Richard and a few other websites, my unique tulips may be a virus! Geez, we have flu viruses, computer viruses and now ... "flower" viruses? It appears there is a long history to these tulip viruses, dating back to the 17th century. Who would know? 











For more info about Rembrandt Tulips click here:http://www.suite101.com/content/growing-tulips-history-and-use-of-the-rembrandt-tulip-a297104

or here:

http://www.theplantexpert.com/springbulbs/Tulip9Rembrandt.html 

Perhaps, I need to use these interesting tulips as subjects for some of my "functional art" projects.

Always remember ~ the beauty in your garden, will give you peace. Flowers feed the soul.