Regular readers of this column will know that each autumn we plant a block of tulips in our vegetable plot, for use as cut flowers in the spring. This year we've planted three varieties of lily flowered' tulips, to flower in succession from late April to mid-May.

Lily flowered tulips have bright, rich colours and gently reflexed petals, with strong stems making them ideal for cut flowers.

Tulips were first cultivated by the Turks, who saw the flowers as a symbol of wealth and status and had strict laws governing the cultivation and sale of bulbs. The first tulip bulbs were introduced to Holland at the end of the 16th century and, by the beginning of the 17th century, interest in tulip flowers had become enormous; as growers started to hybridise and produce more varieties, so their value increased dramatically.

The resulting Dutch Tulipmania' saw individual bulbs changing hands for unbelievable prices. Bulbs were sold by weight, usually while they were still in the ground, with dealers speculating on the future weight of the bulb once it was lifted.

To find out more about the history of tulips and how to grow them from seed, see the full story in the Leisure section of this wwek's Westmorland Gazette.

Jobs for this week...

Sow grass seed from now on, if the soil is not too wet.

Complete rose pruning as soon as possible.

Cut down plants of flowering dogwood and ornamental willow to within a few inches of the ground. The bright new stems produced this summer will provide colour for next winter.