Would you be willing to marry a girl who came with a tulip bulb as a dowry? If you lived in England and mainland Europe during the 16th century the answer is without doubt yes!

Tulips were the hottest thing around 500 years ago – and anyone who was anyone in society wanted them! The tulip is the national flower of Iran and Turkey, and was introduced into Europe in the mid 16th century. With their fantastic colour, the flowers soon became very desirable and expensive, and prices for rare individual bulbs rose to incredible heights, particularly in Northern Europe. Cultivated in Holland, by 1610 a single bulb of a new variety was acceptable as dowry for a bride – or as an exchange for a bijou townhouse!

You’ll be able to enjoy displays of these glorious flowers during April and May at Little Moreton Hall, as Rebecca Alexander, Visitor Experience Manager explains: “The Tudors and Elizabethans loved tulips, and as the Moreton Family was very wealthy, it’s highly likely they would have had some plants on display to show off their wealth and status to visitors. We’ve always had tulips in the garden here at Little Moreton, so we decided to showcase these wonderful flowers by having displays in and around the Hall during April and May. Their colours should look very striking set against the black and white backdrop of the building”.

Meanwhile, Head Gardener Alan Middling has been carefully keeping an eye on the tulip bulbs – which at this time of year are a great favourite with squirrels. “The bulbs contain starch which the squirrels eat for energy” says Alan – so we’ve been on squirrel watch over the past few weeks. We will however have some lovely colourful varieties of tulips on show including ‘Little Beauty’ – which is a rosy-purple colour, with a deep blue centre and edged in white, ‘Abu Hassan’, a very striking cardinal-red with stripes and a yellow edge, ‘Carnaval de Nice’ which has sparkling white double flowers feathered with deep red and silver grey foliage, and ‘Rococo’ which is carmine coloured and crested with green”.

Sadly, the great commercial tulip boom of 500 years ago didn’t last. In 1637 - due to lack of confidence - the market collapsed and caused financial ruin for many ordinary Dutch families and growers . Despite this, the British love affair with the tulip has continued down the centuries – so visit Little Moreton Hall over the next few months to experience these wonderful flowers and gather tips on how to look after them. Younger visitors can also get involved by taking part in a special Tulip Trail around the garden.

As well as the visual delights on offer, tulip enthusiasts can also enjoy a bite to eat in the restaurant. Tulips are not on the menu - but instead you can enjoy hot pork sandwiches with apple sauce and stuffing, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Cheese Tart and a range of traditional cakes and puddings including Sticky Chocolate Almond Cake and double cream, Lemon Drizzle Cake, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese and Orange Topping and all butter flapjacks. A children’s menu is also available.

Little Moreton Hall is open Weds – Sat, 11am – 5pm. For further information about events go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events or call 01260 272018.

Nr Congleton, Cheshire
Weds – Sun, 11am – 5pm throughout April and May