National Tulipday: Airborne Tulip Memorials In The Spotlight
On January 18th , it’s National Tulip Day, a perfect day to shine the spotlight on the ‘Airborne Tulip Memorials’.
Airborne Tulip Memorials began with an idea from Darren Kaye in Manchester, England. His grandfather, affectionately known as ‘Pops, ‘ William (Bill) Lewis was just 19 years old when he arrived on the first lift into Arnhem with the Border Regiment. Pops survived the war but never spoke of his experiences during the Battle of Arnhem with his family, as often happened to soldiers returning home.
The ‘living memorials’ commemorate the period of Remembrance in the U.K. in November, which coincides with planting the Airborne Tulips , and the period of Liberation in May for the Dutch, when the Airborne Tulips are in bloom and can then be cut and placed on graves. The idea was to embrace a ‘hands across the water’ approach for both U.K. and Dutch schools participating in this project to share their experiences of Remembrance.
In September 2022, Darren attended the annual Airborne football match at Gelredome , where he met Amanda and Maikel Slotboom, locals who were volunteering. It quickly became clear that Amanda and Maikel were the right people to help bring the project to the Netherlands. It was arranged that ‘some’ tulip bulbs would be delivered to their home to be shared with local schools, monuments, and significant locations around Arnhem and Oosterbeek.
‘Some’ bulbs turned into 4,500 the first year, with another 2,500 delivered to locations in England where the gliders and planes took off toward the Arnhem area back in 1944. That first spring, Darren and his wife, Andrea, returned to Arnhem to visit and see the flowers for themselves. It was a very emotional and poignant experience.
Where can you find these special Airborne Tulips?
Year two saw over 7,500 bulbs delivered to the Slotboom’s house (and another 2,500 in England), with very special locations arranged to plant the bulbs, including in the backyard of Kate Ter Horst ‘s home in Oosterbeek, which served as an aid post for more than 300 soldiers and a yard that functioned as a burial ground for 57.
Bulbs were also provided to St. Elisabeth Gasthuis, which operated as a battlefield hospital, the Old Church in Oosterbeek, and additional planting around the Hartenstein Museum, the Needle , and of course , the John Frost Bridge in Arnhem. All bulbs have been graciously donated by Darren, with help from a GoFundMe fundraiser, as well as various draws, raffles, and pin sales.
These fundraisers have been of enormous help, but we still need more support. In 2024, for the first time, bulbs were made available for private sale through the Airborne Tulip Memorials Facebook page and through volunteers in both England and the Netherlands. In 2024, a further 16,000 Airborne Tulips were planted in the Netherlands and the UK at schools, colleges, cemeteries, and national memorials. These special tulip bulbs were cultivated with the help of Darren and Caroline Frost, the daughter of Maj. Gen. John Frost. Together , they chose four bulbs closest to the colors of the Airborne beret. They then researched their hardiness and suitability to cover a broad spectrum of soil types, after which the Airborne Tulip Bulb was chosen
What can you do to spread the word?
🌷Donate to the GoFundMe page
🌷Share this blog to make more people aware of this great project
🌷When in Arnhem and Oosterbeek during the tulip season, take photos of the Airborne tulips and share them with your friends and family
🌷Follow the Airborne Tulip Memorials facebook page
Where to tulips originate from?
Tulips originate from Central Asia, particularly the region near the Tien Shan Mountains, which spans parts of modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Wild tulips grew naturally in this area and were first cultivated by the Turks during the Ottoman Empire. Tulips became an integral part of Turkish culture and were celebrated in art, poetry, and festivals.
In the 16th century, tulips were introduced to Europe via the Ottoman Empire, where they gained popularity in the Netherlands. The Dutch embraced tulips passionately, leading to the famous “Tulip Mania” in the 1630s, when tulip bulbs became a luxury commodity and a symbol of wealth. Today, tulips are closely associated with Dutch culture, but their true origins lie in Central Asia.
Every year, during Spring time, you’ll be able to see many beautiful tulips in Arnhem too, although, for the amazing tulip fields you will need to travel to another part of the country so called the ‘Bulb Region’, to places such as Lisse, Noordwijkerhout, and Hillegom.
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