Tulips came to Europe in the mid-1500s. Native to the Ottoman Empire, the first tulip bulb was sent to Vienna in 1554 from where the flowers found their way to Amsterdam and into history - economic history that is, not botanical. You see tulips were the cause of the world's first recorded financial bubble - and it was a big one.
The Dutch literally went crazy over tulips and the crazier they went the higher prices for tulip bulbs became. In about 1624 an Amsterdam man declined an offer of 3,000 guilders for one bulb. It is said that not long afterwards, Rembrandt received about half that sum for his now famous painting
The Nightwatch. By the peak of tulip mania a single bulb was worth about ten times the annual income of a craftsman.*
Today, the average annual income in Australia is about Aus$80,000*. Assuming a 17th Century craftsman's income to be the equivalent of today's average income then at the height of the Dutch tulip bubble each bulb was worth a staggering Aus$800,000. Floriade, the tulip festival held in Canberra each year in Spring has floral displays of more than a million flowers. Approximately 60-70% are tulips. At the height of the Dutch tulip boom, Floriade's tulip bulbs would have been worth a whopping $48 billion. Someone tell Malcolm Turnbull - I may have just solved our National Debt problem.
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| Tulips lining the shores of Lake Burley-Griffin |
Don't get too excited though. Sometime in the winter of 1636/1637 the tulip bubble burst. Almost overnight vendors rushed to sell, buyers disappeared and auctions were held without a single bid. Once valuable bulbs became almost worthless. It was probably a good thing for today's gardeners. Somehow I can't see the A.C.T Government forking out $48 billion for Floriade, let alone keeping admission absolutely free for what is one of the loveliest tulip festivals in Australia.
Apart from its fascinating role in the history of finance there isn't a lot I can say about tulips so just settle back and enjoy the flowers.
Photos from Floriade 2015
Tulip Top Gardens
Tulip Top Gardens is a privately owned garden in New South Wales just outside the Australian Captial Territory. On our recent trip to Canberra, David and I visited both Floriade and Tulip Top Gardens. While Floriade is far better known, Tulip Top Gardens is well worth visiting. Although there is a charge for admission, the 10-acre garden is much less commercial than Floriade and, in our view, prettier because the flower gardens are interspersed with dozens of magnificent blossom trees.
Photos from Tulip Top Gardens 2015
Tips and Tricks and Things to Know
Floriade -
- One of the best things about Floriade is it is free.
- Floriade runs from 12 September until 11 October in 2015 so if you want to see it this year you will have to hurry but don't worry Floriade is in its 28th year and planning for next year is already well underway.
- Floriade is held in Commonwealth Park, a few minute's walk from the city centre.
- There is plenty of parking but expect to walk a bit of a distance from your car.
- Apart from the tulips and other flowers Floriade has children's amusement rides, art and craft stalls, pop-up cafes and all the atmosphere of a country fair.
- 2015 admission prices for Tulip Top Gardens were $15/adults and $14/Concession Card holders.
- Tulip Top Gardens opened on 12 September in 2015 and will close on 11 October.
- Tulip Top Gardens are just off the Federal Highway about 15 minutes north of Canberra. There is a large sign at the turn-off.
- There is plenty of parking.
- There is a basic cafe serving free tea and coffee as well as a pancakeria serving Dutch pancakes.
Have you been to a tulip festival in Australia or around the world?
* The Dutch "Tulip Mania" Bubble (aka"Tulipomania") by Jesse Colombo
Average annual income is taken from the figures published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in its release dated 13 August 2015
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