國花系列:TULIP(荷蘭)

In 1593 tulips were brought from Turkey and introduced to the Dutch. The novelty of the new flower made it widely sought after and therefore fairly pricey. After a time, the tulips contracted a non-fatal virus known as mosaic, which didn't kill the tulip population but altered them causing "flames" of color to appear upon the petals. The color patterns came in a wide variety, increasing the rarity of an already unique flower. Thus, tulips, which were already selling at a premium, began to rise in price according to how their virus alterations were valued, or desired. Everyone began to deal in bulbs, essentially speculating on the tulip market, which was believed to have no limits.
是土耳其人最先把他們著名的鬱金香介紹給荷蘭人，繼而引發了英國和荷蘭的鬱金香熱。16世紀從伊斯坦布爾運往維也納的鬱金香球莖極受歡迎，到了1634年，荷蘭人把這稱作“鬱金香狂潮”。當時人們把錢投資到鬱金香就好比現代人投資股票。在17世紀的土耳其，這是段充滿高雅氣息充滿意趣的歷史，被稱作“鬱金香時代”。

A spring trip to Amsterdam and the Netherlands is not complete without a visit to the Dutch countryside to see the tulip fields in bloom. Touring Keukenhof Gardens, the worlds' largest tulip gardens, is a wonderful shore excursion, but we were amazed at the amazing cultivated gardens throughout the country. During a trip to the Netherlands in mid-April, we saw tulip fields in Noord Holland, Zuid Holland, and Friesland. In addition, there were some beautiful tulip fields next to Keukenhof Gardens, near the large windmill.



在荷蘭，鬱金香是美好、莊嚴、華貴和成功的象徵。雖說荷蘭的鬱金香譽滿全球，其實鬱金香的故土在土耳其。土耳其人更鐘愛鬱金香。鬱金香的生物學名是Tulipa，來自土耳其語TUber1d，含義是鬱金香花象包着頭巾的伊斯蘭教少女一樣美麗。鬱金香成爲土耳其的國花比荷蘭還早。鬱金香爲熱愛它的人們帶來了多姿多彩的幸福生活。匈牙利、伊朗、新西蘭也把鬱金香定爲本國國花.

In the 20th century it was discovered that the frilly petals and dramatic flames that gave the flower its stunning look were, in fact, the symptoms of an infection by the mosaic virus. The healthy flower was supposed to be solid, smooth and monotone. The virus came to the tulip from a louse living on peaches and potatoes. Diseased varieties of tulips are no longer sold. What you find today are hybrids that look similar but are genetically stable.

There are many different types of tulips on the market from which to choose, including variegated tulips, bi-color tulips, fringed petaled tulips, lily flowered tulips, and parrot varieties, as well as the so called "peony flowered" types, which have double the usual amount of petals. "Angelique" is one such double tulip which has lovely soft pink petals.



鬱金香花語：
鬱金香：愛的表白、榮譽、祝福永恆
鬱金香（紅）：愛的宣言、喜悅、熱愛
鬱金香（粉）：美人、熱愛、幸福
鬱金香（黃）：高貴、珍重、財富
鬱金香（紫）：無盡的愛、最愛
鬱金香（白）：純情、純潔
鬱金香（雙色）：美麗的你、喜相逢
鬱金香（羽毛）：情意綿綿

鬱金香傳說：
　　鬱金香原產於土耳其和中亞細亞一帶。按它的原名Tulipa，就是土耳其語“美麗的頭巾”之意。早在17世紀奧斯曼帝國的御花園中，曾專門種給皇室貴族觀賞。1863年被花商引進荷蘭經營，他們爲了推銷產品特自編造了一個故事：古代有位美麗少女住在雄偉的城堡裏，有三位勇士同時愛上了她，一個送她一頂皇冠；一個送把寶劍；一個送塊金塊。但她對誰都不予鍾情，只好向花神禱告。花神深感愛情不能勉強，遂把皇冠變成鮮花，寶劍變成綠葉，金塊變成球根，這樣合起來便成一棵鬱金香了。這故事經傳開後更加深了人們對它的鐘愛，不少人以擁有新奇的品種而自豪。在花市上商人乘機漫天討價，甚至要用一頭奶牛來換取一顆種頭。許多荷蘭人因栽種鬱金香而致富。並且被公衆評選爲國花，至今已成爲首屈一指的“鬱金香大國”，暢銷120多個國家，出口量佔全世界總出口量的80％以上，它和風車、奶酪和木鞋成爲荷蘭的“四大國寶”。

　　由於鬱金香具有“皇帝女一不愁嫁”的潛質，許多專家都爲選育新品種而廢寢忘餐。據統計，全世界鬱金香品種共有8100多個。其名稱多得令人眼花繚亂。諸如在花瓣上灑有紅點的黃花，稱爲“國王的血”，在花瓣上有條紋分佈的紅花，稱爲“奧林匹克火炬”，而花瓣相互抱卷的絆紅色花，叫做“情人的熱吻”等等。特別是昔日法國作家大仲馬曾讚美過一種稱爲“黑寡婦”的黑鬱金香“豔麗得叫人睜不開眼睛，完美得讓人透不過氣來”之後，黑鬱金香更是聲價百倍，被花迷們視爲稀世奇珍。其實，這品種所開的也不過是紫得發黑而已，並非純粹的黑色。

鬱金香喜歡在冷涼的氣候生長，一般適溫爲17～2O”C，最怕炎熱和悶娟不通風的環境。在華南一帶只適宜在冬季栽培。如果露地整畦種植最好種在陽光充足、土質疏鬆和水足肥豐的地方一，土壤的pH值（酸鹼度）以6～7之間，即是不偏酸性，也不偏鹼性的中性土壤爲宜。如果用來盆栽，則最好選用腐葉上、細河沙、珍珠岩、蘑菇渣、幹畜糞和花生麩混合而成的營養上，這樣才能生長健壯，順利開花。