Tale of Two Blooms: Tulips + Dahlias (featuring limited-edition NFTs from Kelly Teleglow)

April 30, 2021 Richard J Nardo

Animation/Photography/NFTs from Kelly Teleglow
Written by Rich Nardo

After surviving four months of deep freeze on Long Island, it’s hard not to feel hopeful when the first hints of green emerge in the spring. I think that feeling is especially potent this year, as more and more people are getting vaccinated and a glimmer of hope that a clearing of the pandemic fog we’ve all endured for over a year may be coming, slowly but surely.

It’s an honor to be working with my friend, Kelly Teleglow, on a piece that speaks to the signs of life that inspire hope each April/May. When we worked on our first article together last year, April Showers Bring May Flowers, Kelly was quickly becoming one of my favorite local photographers, particularly when it comes to shooting flowers. In the time since, she’s really established herself as an artist and learned animation skills to further expand the ways in which she presents her work. Luckily, she was still willing to collaborate with me for this!

We’re going to take a look at two of the most distinct blooms commonly found in Long Island gardens - tulips and dahlias. For each flower, Kelly has created animations from her fantastic photography. One of each species will be available for purchase through my NFT store on Bitski. Kelly will also be gifting physical prints of the original photos with each purchase. You can follow Kelly on Instagram at @KelTel_images and visit her print shop here.

Tulips

The appearance of brilliantly-colored tulip blossoms in gardens around Long Island is one of the earliest signs that spring has arrived. Tulips are easily identifiable by their cup-shaped flowers with three petals and three sepals. There are several species commonly found in our region ranging from around six inches to about two feet tall. Their color scale generally stays in the warmer range - reds, pinks, yellows, or whites - and it’s interesting to see a characteristic differently colored blotch at the base of the tepals.

Tulips are believed to have originated in the valleys of Central Asia and were cultivated as early as 1055 in Constantinople. It’s believed that tenth century Persians were early cultivators of the tulip, but it wasn’t until the sixteenth century that western diplomats visiting the Ottoman empire brought them back to the West. Once the prized flower was introduced in Europe, it became a frenzied commodity. Any fans of the movie Wall Street probably remember the story of “Tulip Mania” from the sequel, which allegedly sunk the economy of the Netherlands (though some historians now believe the degree of severity of Tulip Mania may have been exaggerated).

Tulips are the national symbol of martyrdom in Iran, referencing a sixth-century legend similar to Romeo and Juliet where tulips grew from the blood of a young prince who took his own life after hearing deliberately false news of his true love’s death. Individual color variants also have their own unique meanings. Red tulips are a sign of everlasting love, pink symbolize happiness and confidence. Purple tulips reflect royalty, yellow ones - cheerful thoughts, and white tulips are used as a sign of forgiveness.

Want to Plant Tulips?

Its best to start in the fall, 6-to-8 weeks before the first ground-freezing frost is expected. This gives the bulb time to establish itself while limiting the disease problems that can occur if they are planted too early. The farmer’s almanac suggests a good rule of thumb would be to plant them when the average nighttime temperature is in the 40-to-50 degree range. They require full sun or partial shade and well-draining soil and should be watered once after planting and moderately when spring has arrived. In terms of width and depth, plant the bulb 5-7 inches deep and leave a distance of 4-5 inches between plantings.

Want to Check out a Netherlands-style Tulip Garden on Long Island?

Visit Waterdrinker Family Farm! This year, they planted over 500,000 tulips and other spring bulbs. They’ve also got tons of other activities for adults and children alike. You can find more information about the WaterDrinker Farm “Tulip Trail” on their website.

Dahlias

I’ve always had a soft spot for dahlias. There are over 50,000 varieties of this tuberous plant that bloom at different times throughout the season - from spring to first frost. Dahlias are related to sunflowers, daisies, chrysanthemum, and zinnia and span the full color spectrum and size range from petite 2-inch pompoms to 15-inch blooms the are referred to as “dinner plates”.

Dahlias have a globetrotting history that is as interesting as the flowers are beautiful. They’re native to Mexico, Guatemala and other regions of Central America where they grow like weeds in the vast, open valleys. The Aztecs were the first civilization to cultivate dahlias and they revered them as symbols of their sun gods. The Aztecs made good use of these abundant plants, using their tubers as a food source, natural sweetener, and a natural antibiotic to treat many ailments. They also used the large flowers and hollow stems of tree dahlias to collect and carry water.

When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, an innovative botanist by the name of Francisco Hernandez was captivated by dahlias and dedicated a good part of his time to studying and sketching them. His work would go largely unappreciated until many years after his death when another Spanish botanist, Antonio Jose Cavinelles took an interest in dahlias and decided to grow three wild varieties at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Madrid. These initial dahlias became such a popular attraction that the Royal Botanical Gardens soon shared seeds with their contemporaries in England, France, and Germany, leading to a boom in demand throughout Europe, and subsequently a myriad of new variants were bred.

As demand flourished in Europe, our story comes full circle as dahlias made their way back across the Atlantic. The first Dahlia Society in the U.S. was formed in San Francisco in 1917, and the city (as well as Seattle) have since adopted dahlias as their official flower. Mexico has also paid homage to the dahlia by making it their national flower. It’s incredible to think that the 50,000 varieties available today and popular around the world can trace their roots (no pun intended) back to three wild Mexican varieties brought to Spain by Hernandez and cultivated by Cavinilles at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid all those years ago.

Want to Plant Dahlias in your Garden?

Unlike tulips, don’t rush to get dahlia tubers in the ground as they are particular about soil temperature. To beat the slow start, a lot of gardeners start their tubers indoors in containers about a month before the planting season starts (particularly with dwarf to medium size plants). Whether you utilize this jumpstart or not, wait until the fear of the last spring frost has passed before you put your dahlias in the ground so that the soil has had a chance to warm up. Once planted, dahlias will need a full 6-to-8 hours per day of direct sunlight, so pick your spot wisely. It’s also worth noting that it’ll help your plant if you can provide them with morning sunlight and some sort of protection from wind. The planting hole should be 6-to-8 inches deep and slightly larger than the root ball. Make sure to incorporate some compost or peat moss so that the soil is well conditioned.

In closing, be patient. It will take about 8 weeks for your dahlias to start blooming (so around mid-July).

Dahlias Heaven on Long Island

The Long Island Dahlia Society is an absolute must if you’re a fan of these beautiful flowers. This all volunteer organization is based at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River and features over 1000 dahlia plants including hundreds of different varieties. They also host two “Dahlia Shows” each year around September/October where east coast growers exhibit their best specimens. There is a “Dahlia Photo Competition” that takes place at the second show exhibiting the work of beginners, advanced, and professional photographers alike.