Flower Endings. Tulip, Vondelpark, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
It's the end of the Tulip season in The Netherlands. Other plants - see the photo - are vying for their place in garden beds. No worry, our early bloomers will be back next year. How?
Well, both ends of our Tulip can in principle further its kind. Of course there are at 'bottom end' bulbs, still covered by soil. Those bulbs are in fact a 'thickened' part of the lowest stem. They have miniature 'leafscales' (something like an onion's) that will in Spring sprout into leaves; also, of course, there's a rudimentary stem, and even an as yet undeveloped flower. It'll be a copy of its parent.
But at the 'top end' there's the flower. In the photo it's almost through functioning. That flower has stamens with pollen - two of them on view here - and centrally there's that wondrous pistil, the female organ down through which pollen will activate the ovules into seed. But generally hybrid tulips, such as probably this one, bring forth sterile seed. So your best bet for a nice tulip patch next year is to plant bulbs for any hybrids that catch your fancy.
Flower Endings. Tulip, Vondelpark, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
It's the end of the Tulip season in The Netherlands. Other plants - see the photo - are vying for their place in garden beds. No worry, our early bloomers will be back next year. How?
Well, both ends of our Tulip can in principle further its kind. Of course there are at 'bottom end' bulbs, still covered by soil. Those bulbs are in fact a 'thickened' part of the lowest stem. They have miniature 'leafscales' (something like an onion's) that will in Spring sprout into leaves; also, of course, there's a rudimentary stem, and even an as yet undeveloped flower. It'll be a copy of its parent.
But at the 'top end' there's the flower. In the photo it's almost through functioning. That flower has stamens with pollen - two of them on view here - and centrally there's that wondrous pistil, the female organ down through which pollen will activate the ovules into seed. But generally hybrid tulips, such as probably this one, bring forth sterile seed. So your best bet for a nice tulip patch next year is to plant bulbs for any hybrids that catch your fancy.