Orchids, roses, dahlias all have their fair share of enthusiasts
- as do many other plants. But tulips are in a class of their own, or rather they were
- in 17th century Holl&. It was discovered that certain tulip bulbs produced striped flowers, & especially striking examples could & did command outrageous prices. In the early 1630s speculation in such bulbs was rife & fortunes were gambled, won & lost as ' Tulip Fever' took on epidemic proportions One bulb of the tulip ' Semper Augustus' is said to have sold for the astonishingly large sum of 5, 000 florins plus a new coach & pair of horses! Happily our tulip stem is appreciably more affordable... & more durable. ' Tulip Fever' lasted less than seven years; our tulip stem will be still giving pleasure for a great deal longer.