Netherlands ambassador Marisa Gerards is hoping she can give a worthy parting gift to India before the end of her tenure — a climate-resilient tulip that can grow in warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier springs. “The Netherlands had already developed a rare, vibrant yellow and orange tulip variety after Indian actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in 2005, which continues to grow at the Keukenh of Gardens in Lisse Netherlands. I hope we can develop another variety specific to Indian conditions that can be grown here. And probably name it after an Indian icon,” she said as she opened her gardens for a miniature experience with 50,000 blooms.
On the eve of the embassy’s partnership with NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Corporation) for the second edition of a tulip show across NDMC green islands in the city, Gerards said that amid all the semiconductor, AI and research-driven collaborations with India, research into tulip-growing has a sweet spot. And like many Indians, she is nostalgic about the iconic “Dekha Ek Khwaab” song from the 1981 film Silsila, which was shot at the Keukenhof Gardens. “I think that’s how it became known all over India. And after that film, tourists have been coming in,” she added.
The NDMC tulip beds can be seen at the Shantipath lawns, Chanakyapuri, Central Park in Connaught Place, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Mandi House and Windsor Place. While largely relying on imported tulip bulbs from the Netherlands, the NDMC is currently working to produce and reuse tulip bulbs locally in collaboration with the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology in Palampur. “In colder weather, they can remain in the soil but in summer the soil has to be well-drained as excess moisture can cause them to rot. Otherwise, you need to take the bulbs out and store them in a temperature-controlled setting before replanting,” said Gerards.
During a walkabout, Gerards’ biologist husband Peter Knoope explained how the soil had been prepared from the first week of November last year for the flowers to bloom. “The mother bulb produces smaller ‘offshoot’ bulbs, which have to be trimmed away and planted elsewhere. You can get four tulips from one bulb. The bulb offspring are genetically identical clones of the parent plant and multiply faster than cross-pollination. So, farmers rely on bulbs, which are preserved for growing next season. Since the tulip has both male (stamen) and female (pistils) parts, pollination produces seeds that contain a mix of genetic material from both parent flowers, creating genetic diversity. But this takes longer to bloom than bulbs,” he explains.
Drawing a parallel with the Indian lotus, Gerards said, “Just as the lotus is deeply rooted in Indian culture, the tulip is an inseparable part of the Netherlands’ identity. More than just a seasonal bloom, it represents optimism and the fresh promise of spring.” For both her and Knoope, the tulip represents survival during World War II. “My mother was in the German-occupied parts. During the last stretch of the war in the 1944–1945 period, Dutch civilians survived on tulip bulbs because severe German blockades cut off food supplies, reducing daily rations to as low as 400–800 calories. They peeled it, removed the bitter core, boiled them for soup or dried them into flour. My mother lost weight and became so sick that at the close of war, she had to be sent to the countryside, having bowls of porridge to regain strength,” said Gerards.
Even Belgian actress and Hollywood icon, Audrey Hepburn, whose family had moved to the Netherlands during WWII, recounted eating tulips to survive. Knoope, too, recalled how the tulip became a metaphor for war, memory, deprivation, pride and resilience for him as his parents battled tough times during the German occupation. “Evey Dutch home has tulips growing,” he says.
Tulips originated in Central Asia and were embraced by the Ottoman empire, which introduced it to Europe in the 16th century. Today, there are more than 3,000 officially registered tulip varieties, ranging from classic single-colour blooms to rare and dramatic forms. “During the height of their popularity, tulip varieties were given grand titles such as ‘Admiral’ and ‘General,’ and some were even named after historical figures. In the 17th century, a particular kind of tulips became so prized in the Netherlands that they sparked a huge demand with rare bulbs traded on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange at prices sometimes equal to the value of a house. While that frenzy faded with people unable to buy at high prices, the tulip’s popularity only spread further across the world. Today, tulips are celebrated through spring festivals across continents,” said Gerards.
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The Netherlands commands about 80 per cent of the world’s tulip market. “In fact, we are now going back to the original variant that grew in Central Asia, Turkey and Iran, which was smaller in size,” she added.
