ia: The best of Iowa arts and culture

As in previous years, more than 50,000 tulips will burst forth soon at Reiman Gardens in Ames. (Photo: Aaron Steil)

History blooms in Ames, Cumming, Pella and Orange City

By Aaron Steil

There's just something about tulips. Their simple form and beautiful blossoms make them one of my favorites. But what makes them even more special is the fascinating backstory of how a small flowering bulb from Central Asia became a worldwide symbol of spring.

Tulips were first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1000 C.E. They were introduced to the Netherlands in the late 1500s when the Flemish ambassador to the Ottoman court in Constantinople spotted the colorful flower (presumably named after the Turkish word for "turban") in the palace gardens and sent a few bulbs to the director of the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden, Netherlands. This was the start of the amazing bulb fields we see today in the Netherlands and the reason the flower symbolizes Dutch identity.

Over the next few decades, the tulip became a popular commodity for its beauty. New hybrids were introduced with bright colors, dramatic flame-like patterns and frilly petals. These flowers were seen as rarities and a sign of high status, and bulbs were sold for unbelievably high prices during a period called “tulip mania.” At the height of the craze, a hybrid variety called Semper Augustus, which featured dramatic streaks of red and white, sold for more than 5,500 guilders (today, that's about half a million U.S. dollars). The inflated values didn’t last long, and they collapsed in February 1637. This rise and sudden fall of the tulip prices is considered to be the first economic bubble in history.

Interestingly, the beautiful patterns of Semper Augustus and other highly coveted “broken”-pattern tulips were caused by a virus that weakens the plant, stunting its growth and accelerating its death. Today’s streaked tulips, called Rembrandt types, are virus-free cultivars named after the famous Dutch artist of the same era, who added tulips to several of his paintings from the era of tulip mania.

See a piece of history in Iowa ...

While tulips today don’t garner the astronomical prices they once did, they're still prized by gardeners and fans around the world. Here in Iowa, you can see beautiful tulip displays at the Tulip Festival at Wilson's Orchard in Cumming (now through May 4), Tulip Time in Pella (May 2-3) and the Orange City Tulip Festival (May 15-17) in northwest Iowa. Lovely plantings also can be enjoyed at public gardens across the state, like Reiman Gardens in Ames, where staff and volunteers plant more than 50,000 bulbs each year.

If you're looking to travel, stunning displays can be found in Holland, Michigan, and the Skagit Valley in Washington state, where many tulips are cultivated for sale. Internationally, millions of bulbs can be found each year in Ottawa, Canada, the famed Keukenhof Garden in the Netherlands and Istanbul, Turkey (formerly Constantinople, where the whole story began).

... or grow them yourself

Growing tulips at home is easy. Simply plant the bulbs in October and enjoy the blooms in late April and early May. My favorites are the lily-flowering ones with their pointed flared petals (pictured). But there are 15 different types of tulips to try in your garden, so why not try them all? Learn all about growing tulips in your own yard with handy some practical tips from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Aaron Steil is a consumer horticulture specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach and a frequent contributor to Iowa Public Radio and Iowa PBS.

Massamba Diop brings his tama drum mastery to Iowa for Black Panther in Concert. (Photo: Massamba Diop)

'Black Panther' concert set for Cedar Falls

A concert based on the 2018 Marvel movie “Black Panther” heads to the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Saturday in Cedar Falls. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony performs the film's Oscar-winning score accompanied by Massamba Diop, a Senegalese tama player.

A tama, or "talking drum," mimics the sound of a human voice. So back before the internet, phones or even radio, people used them to relay messages between villages. Ludwig Goransson, the "Black Panther" composer, enlisted Diop to bring its unique sound to the score. Now, Diop and the show tour around the world, including stops at Taiwan’s National Concert Hall and Sydney’s Opera House, with a stop in Iowa this weekend. Find tickets online.

Fashion shows pop up around Iowa City for a weekend. (Photo: Beyond Fashion Festival)

All dressed up with somewhere to go in Iowa City

Head to Iowa City on May 2-3 for a party all around downtown. The city’s artists and other creative folks will kick off the Beyond Fashion Festival on Friday night with a happy hour, design showcase, comedy show, DJ sets, slam poetry and live music at multiple venues.

The festival’s activities continue bright and early Saturday morning, with yoga and a guest lecture at the Graduate Hotel, and a vendor market pop up at the Hotel Chauncey. In the afternoon, sharpen your pencils for a series of lectures and panel discussions, plus a screening of “The Wright House,” about an Iowa-based fashion house. It all culminates in a multitude of fashion shows featuring local, regional and national designers. Buy an all-access pass to take part and attend as many of the events as you want.

Megan & Co. Herbal Apothecary has been open in Spirit Lake since 2017. (Photo: Chad Holder)

Lotions and potions in Spirit Lake

Right off U.S. Highway 71, in the charming lakeside town of Spirit Lake, you’ll find the storefront of Megan & Co. Herbal Apothecary. Inside, rows and rows of handmade products line dark wooden shelves, like an old general store you might have found on the same avenue a century ago.

But there’s a bright, modern feel to this boutique wellness palace. Owner and founder Megan Fuhrman-Wheeler opened the shop in 2017 after her own health challenges prompted her to look for solutions outside of traditional medicine.

Fuhrman-Wheeler is a clinical herbalist, clinical nutritionist and flower essence practitioner certified through the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, so beyond the general retail products sold in-store and online, she also creates custom formulations for clients. These come after a private wellness consultation done in the clinic portion of the brick-and-mortar space.

In the summer, Megan & Co. sells a lot of Boji Bliss green tea blend and Mint Aloe lotion. Spirit Lake being so close to Okoboji, the popular summer vacation destination sees plenty of dehydrated, sunburned tourists. “The green tea blend will give you a gentle boost of energy while also being really hydrating, especially if you’ve been out in the sun all day,” Fuhrman-Wheeler said. “The Mint Aloe is cooling and soothing for burns.”

Read more in the current issue of ia magazine.

Celebrate May Day in Amana. (Photo: Maifest Amana)

Ring in spring this Maifest

The Amana Colonies host their traditional Maifest May 3-4. The festival celebrates May Day and the arrival of spring as the Germans do, with dancing, flowers, food and, of course, a stein or two. This year’s event theme “Spring into Action” honors everyday heroes and first responders, including the Amana Fire Department, which will lead the parade on Saturday.

Also on Saturday morning, watch a performance from the Maipole Dancers as they decorate a traditional pole with ribbons. All afternoon, the Festhalle will serve up traditional German fare like potato pancakes and obstkuchen, a fruit and custard tart. Take the Wine and Beer Walk for free samples at participating businesses or tour the fleet of food trucks.