Although fashionably late, tulips have well and truly arrived in Melbourne this spring. And with the Tesselaar Tulip festival on, we’ve certainly caught tulip fever. There’s not much we don’t love about this gorgeous flower so we thought we'd let you in on a few tulip fun facts.

Occasions to buy tulips

Tulip colours

No matter your favourite colour, there’s surely a tulip to tickle your fancy. And if they weren’t already beautiful enough on face value, each colour carries a distinct meaning.

Red - The colour of love, passion and romance. Red tulips are also the flower for 11th wedding anniversaries.

Pink - Still a symbol of affection, just not as intense as a red tulip. Pink tulips are more appropriate to give to a friend or family member rather than a lover. Take a look at these beauties from one of our local florists in Prahran, Flawless Flowers.

Yellow - Once a representation of hopeless love and jealousy, you’ll be glad to know the meaning of the yellow tulip has had a facelift and they now mean hope, happiness and cheerfulness. The perfect colour to brighten someone’s day.

Purple - The colour of royalty. These tulips represent abundance and prosperity. If you want to let a friend know that’s she’s an absolute queen after her promotion at work, purple tulips are the way to go.

Multi coloured - The colours and patterns of these blooms are said to symbolise beautiful eyes. Can’t stop thinking about those dreamy baby blues? Send a bouquet of multi coloured tulips to nail in that second date.

When to buy tulips

Tulips are a spring flower that start to bloom when the weather warms up. Your local florist will have the best stock towards the end of September or early October. Disclaimer... this can be different for Melbourne depending on what the crazy weather decides to do.

Tulips tend to be available all year around as they are imported from overseas when not available locally, mainly from Holland, the tulip mecca of the world! Our Flowerfox florists Canary Jane's, Flawless Flowers, and Cakes and Vases all have fresh, beautiful tulip bouquets to choose from.

Planting your own tulips

If you decide to go to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival and find yourself suddenly inspired by the stunning tulip fields, why not grown some of your own at home? It’s best to plant your tulips in the cooler months around late April or early May, and by this stage you should have had the bulbs chilling in the fridge for around four to six weeks. This helps the stems become taller and stronger. Keep clear of the fruit and veggies though, the gases they produce can cause problems for the development of your tulip. You can plant your tulips in a spot that’s partly shady, however, they love a bit of sun and will grow best in a spot where they can soak up the afternoon sun. Depending on the weather, your tulips should stay in bloom for about two to four weeks.

If you now have a slight tulip obsession like us, make sure you check out the Tesselaar Tulip Festival, on daily until the 15th of October. With different special events on every weekend you’ll be sure to have a very colourful day out.