I love Tulips. Nothing says 'spring' better than a bunch of tulips on the kitchen table to cheer you up when you get home. However, mine come over all floppy after a few days, and gradually lean I over the side of the vase, in a rather feeble way.So, there I was, in the queue at Sainsbury's, tulips in hand, when the woman who was serving me said ;"Do you know the tip, then ?"Now, you all probably know the tip, and it is just part of your tulips -to- vase procedure. But I didn't know the tip. Apparently the tip is to pierce the stem of the tulip , just behind the flower head, with a needle or pin, and this supposedly stops the tulips from flopping, and means that they last longer. The hole made has to go right through the stem. I thanked the woman and told her that I would try 'the tip' and also pass it on, which I have subsequently , duly done.I got a sudden urge to set up a mini experiment to see if 'the tip' actually works. Remembering back to my science lessons, I recall that there should be a 'control' group, so ... I just did 'the tip' on half the tulips. I wonder if it will become obvious which have been pierced, and which have not. I shall wait , see and photograph and share !
