Thousands of tulips have erupted into bloom across Sussex with a particularly striking display at a historic tourist attraction. But many admirers may not know the delicate flower was once at the centre of a 17th-century economic frenzy as the price of bulbs rose and plummeted rapidly, writes Flora Thompson

A STUNNING display of thousands of tulips caused one visitor to burst into tears it was so beautiful.

More than 22,000 tulips are sprawling across the grounds of Arundel Castle with blooms expected to be at their peak this weekend and into next week.

Gardeners spent three and a half weeks planting 52,000 bulbs, including 18,000 tulips, in November – adding to those returning for a second bloom from previous years.

This year the attraction’s annual Tulip Festival has a new draw – the Tulip Garden where visitors can soak in the surroundings and take in varieties like carnival de Rio, flaming flag, and the crimson streaked Washington.

An array of purple prince, curly sue, black parrot and orange emperor are among others planted in displays elsewhere in the 40 acre gardens and grounds such as the Earl’s Garden and throughout herbaceous borders.

The flower gained notoriety as a sought after luxury item during the Tulip Bubble in 17th century Holland and remains popular with admirers today.

The castle’s head gardener Martin Duncan put this year’s successful flourish down to exceptionally warm weather early in the year.

He said: “We have had very good weather with no heavy winds or rain.

“Our main display will be in its peak this weekend and next week.

“The result is an absolutely stunning effect for visitors.

“One lady came to visit the gardens and burst into tears because she thought the flowers were so beautiful.

“Our show piece has 8,000 bulbs in it alone and eight different varieties. Another surprise for visitors will be seeing Tulips appearing in the grass labyrinth as people don’t always expect this.

“Other bulbs we planted included alliums in preparation for the castle’s extravaganza later this year.”

The 54-year-old has a five to ten second commute to work, having lived on the site since he took up the role six years ago after gardening across the world in places like Bermuda.

During his time at Arundel he and his team have upgraded the Rose Garden among other projects.

He said: “Arundel is a fascinating garden with so much diversity and many different rooms within the garden.

“I have a great team and we are trying out new designs as well as maintaining the classic gardens.”

Full of tips for others looking to succeed with tulips in their back garden, Mr Duncan said: “This area is much warmer than other parts of the country so I never buy bulbs which are due to flower early.

“The best time to plant is in November so they don’t rot in the ground.

“Whether they are in a pot or in the ground, make sure they are planted four inches deep.

“This will help them to come back year after year.

“You can mix the varieties but look at the packaging to find the ones which suit each other, or choose different heights to vary the display.”

Boom and bust of the tulip bubble

TULIP mania broke out in 17th-century Holland.

A so-called Tulip Bubble appeared during the Dutch Golden Age, where prices for bulbs of the recently introduced flower reached extraordinarily high levels before suddenly collapsing.

They were seen as a luxury item and a status symbol and were sought after as a way to making a fortune.

In 1636, stock exchanges were established to trade in bulbs. But despite attempts to limit the craze, trade blossomed and people sold land, houses and valuable objects to invest in tulip bulbs.

The biggest sellers were the semper augustus and viceroy bulbs and by 1635, a sale of 100,000 florins for 40 bulbs was recorded.

At the peak of the tulip bubble in 1637, some single bulbs sold for more than ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsman.

It is now seen as the first recorded economic bubble and the term tulip mania is often used metaphorically.

Martin Duncan, head gardener at Arundel Castle, said: “It was like a stock market crash – bulbs were being sold for money equivalent to their weight in gold.

“They were a relatively new flower and they were striking. It was a valuable commodity. People were doing anything to get them.”

British journalist Charles Mackay documents the hysteria of the moment in the 1841 book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.

At one point 12 acres of land were offered for a single semper augustus bulb.

Mackay also claims investors were ruined by the fall in prices and it was a severe shock to commerce.

The flower is revered as a symbol of the Dutch capital Amsterdam, so much so that they were the focus of a popular romantic song, the best known version being the 1958 hit by Max Bygraves.

It was first written in 1953 as Tulpen aus Amsterdam by German singer, songwriter and entertainer Klaus-Günter Neumann after he performed in the city and visited tulip fields.

Martin Duncan's top five tulip varieties

1 The peony tulip angelique – “This is my favourite variety as I think it really surprises people.”

2 Darwin hybrids like apeldoorn beauty – “I love these because they come back year after year and are very striking.”

3 Pink impression – “These are strong and sturdy – a big blousy tulip. The orange and yellows are subtle but vibrant.”

4 Olympic flame and the parrot tulips – “Olympic flame is a stunner – especially when you look down the throat of the flower.”

5 Purple prince – “These have a beautiful colour but are a bit shorter which works well in displays with tulips of other heights.”