Once crowning jewels in royal households, tulipieres laden with flowers of all sorts have become mainstays in home décor. The style and availability of the vessels first fashioned to nurture tulips have broadened to suit any taste, inspiring new ways to enjoy the towering Old-World treasure and modern variations.
“The point of the tulipiere will always be to show off the most spectacular blooms,” says Martha Whitney Butler of The French Potager in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. Inspired by Asian ceramics, the multitiered delft vessels were devised with tubular spouts and a shared water reservoir not only to grow tulip bulbs but also flaunt the once-rare, exotic flora.
Today, easy access to abundant fresh flowers has opened the door to fashioning arrangements of all kinds in tulipieres. “The thing is, they are almost self-arranging,” says Dorothy McDaniel of Dorothy McDaniel’s Flower Market in Birmingham, Alabama. You can find affordable tulips in a range of varieties and colors at florists nearly year-round, Dorothy says, but she also encourages creativity with your flowers of choice. No matter your preference, filling these sculptural vessels with your favorite blooms will spark a special kind of joy.
3 Tips From the Experts:
- When tucking in tulip stems, bear in mind they will continue to grow in water.
- Add flower food to each layered reservoir and change the water regularly to make maintenance easier; the nooks and crannies can be difficult to clean.
- For more traditional tulipieres, let the tapered design of the piece be your guide. Use focal flowers around the base and smaller buds as you work your way up.
Share your own tulipiere designs with us by tagging @southernladymag on Facebook and Instagram.
Styling by Sidney Bragiel
Photography by Steve Rizzo
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