Sarah Raven and Green Mile

Today's the day ................... to name that tulip

Every autumn, I choose two new tulips from the catalogues to be my 'Tulips of the Year' for the following spring.  I suppose that's very nerdy, isn't it?!  Ah well - that's what I do - and my 'Tulips of the Year 2023' are shown above and they are 'Green Mile' and 'Sarah Raven'. 

I think it must be lovely to have any flower named after you and apparently, four or five years ago on a visit to Holland, Sarah was shown the dark red ones.  It was a blend of her favourite things - lily-flowered shape and dark, rich colour.  She was asked if she would like it named after her and of course she said, yes please!  

The process had actually begun about 15 years ago to produce this tulip.  Different varieties were chosen for their particular features, and then crossed again and again to create a stunning hybrid. The strongest and healthiest performer was chosen to grow on, and then 'Sarah Raven' was grown in the fields in Holland until there was a large enough crop of bulbs to offer to her customers.  As for 'Green Mile' - it's the perky yellow tulip.  As it said in the catalogue - 'it's made classy by its flashes of green. Delicate, fine fringing to the petal edge and as a viridiflora, super long-lasting in the garden and vase'.  

I thought they would go well together - and, so far, it's looking good ...........