May 13, 2007
SINCE 1637, when the irrationally exuberant Dutch tulip bulb market collapsed, it has been a cliché to say that the satiny, ephemeral blossom is the only thing that can drive the sensible Dutch to heights of fancy. “We went mad,” confirms Karin Hoogland, a manager at the Keukenhof, the giant spring garden near Lisse. “People really lost everything they had.”
But even a 10,000-florin bulb produced a flower — more than can be said for an interest-only mortgage. It’s this quality that has given the tulip staying power in Dutch culture. “We have these very dark, wet winters,” says Ms. Hoogland, “so when the tulips start blooming, it’s emotional.”
