'Fall tulips' from Baheej continue to grow smiles
Have you ever seen “fall tulips?” Well, I have six stands of them in my front gardens.
So special. They were especially pretty this year.
They bloom in late September until mid-October. The blooms remain until it starts freezing at night. So if we have a long and mild fall, they are here for many weeks. They're low to the ground, with short stems. Mine have big lavender, feathery blossoms.
My beloved Baheej planted them 20 years ago, and they still bloom every fall, as they did this year. A yearly fall gift from Baheej to me. He used to cut a few and bring them in the house. I did that this year.
The bulbs are from Holland. He found them here at Platt Nursery. I imagine they caught his eye because he spent four years in graduate school in Holland and loved everything about the Dutch people and community life. We traveled there many times over the years.
Every time I see my fall tulips, I think of our many happy times in Holland and it's true — it's a very appealing society. One of the nicest features is how older people are kept part of ongoing village life, living in apartments close to the village center. They have usually turned over the family home to the next generation. In the old days these were called Hofjas: little one-story apartments with a shared courtyard and direct access to the sidewalk outside — close to the weekly town market. Today Holland is mix of modern society and tradition, but seniors are not isolated, but rather part of ongoing social life.
Well, I've emailed photos of my Dutch fall tulips out to many of my friends and family. I've gotten nice reactions, and many comments along the line of “I've never heard of fall tulips before.”
My friend, Bob, from Motorola took time to investigate the blooms and sent me information on what he found — links, photos, etc.
Well, what a surprise. The joke is on me! This made me smile. After 20 years of having fall tulips, it turns out they are autumn crocus! Not tulips at all! That's just what Baheej called them. He had a fun imagination. But these crocuses are, indeed, cultivated in Holland and distributed to international markets.
The point is: A vivid imagination is a wonderful gift. They were fall tulips to Baheej and I'm sure I'll always consider them such. They are also called waterlily crocus, which was another attraction to him, I'm sure, because water lillies were Baheej's favorite flower.
My friend kindly said: “Maybe that's what they call them in Holland.” And they might, who knows. I know I pick a few every year, bring inside to enjoy and think of how Baheej enjoyed them, too.
• Susan Anderson-Khleif of Sleepy Hollow has a doctorate in family sociology from Harvard, taught at Wellesley College and is a retired Motorola executive. Contact her at sakhleif@comcast.net or see her blog longtermgrief.tumblr.com. See previous columns at www.dailyherald.com/topics/Anderson-Kleif-Susan.