I-tulip—Imbali Enomlando Onesiyaluyalu

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENETHERLANDS

“LAPHO kufika intwasahlobo eHolland, kuba sengathi izinkulungwane zamahektare . . . ziqala ukuphila,” kusho i-Netherlands Bureau for Tourism. Kungazelelwe, ngokuvela kwemibala, imigqa egqamile yama-tulip aqhakazayo ihamba njalo inqamule amasimu, yakhe imibala egqamile yezimbali ekhanga izivakashi ezibuka amazwe ezivela emhlabeni wonke. Ezivakashini eziningi, lezi zimbali ezikhangayo nezithandwayo zasengadini zibhekwa njengeziwuphawu lwaseHolland ngendlela efanayo nemishini yokudonsa amanzi, ushizi, nezicathulo zokhuni. Kodwa ingabe bewazi yini ukuthi ama-tulip empeleni avela eTurkey?

Ama-tulip AseHolland Anemvelaphi YaseMpumalanga

Isazi sezitshalo u-Adélaïde L. Stork siphawula ukuthi izinto zokuhlobisa zaseTurkey ezenziwe kusukela ekhulwini le-12 leminyaka zinemifanekiso yama-tulip, kodwa izincwadi zaseYurophu zikhuluma ngama-tulip okokuqala ngawo-1550. Ngo-1553 umhambi wamazwe waseFrance wabhala ukuthi “abantu bakwamanye amazwe abamangele” babethenga ‘iminduze ebomvu engavamile eno-anyanisi abakhulu’ ezimakethe zaseConstantinople (Istanbul). Abantu bendawo babiza lembali ngokuthi i-dülbend, okusho ukuthi “isigqoko esiwumshuqulu” (turban) ngolimi lwaseTurkey, futhi uDkt. Stork uthi lelo gama laba “umsuka wegama elithi ‘tulip’.”

Omunye wabantu bakwamanye amazwe owahlatshwa umxhwele yilezi zimbali ezifana nesigqoko esiwumshuqulu kwakungu-Ogier Ghislain de Busbecq, inxusa lase-Austria eTurkey (1555-62). Wathatha izigaxa ze-tulip eConstantinople waya nazo eVienna, lapho zatshalwa khona ezingadini zikaFerdinand I, umbusi waseHapsburg. Izigaxa ze-tulip zakhula kahle lapho ngaphansi kokunakekela okunekhono kukaCharles de L’Écluse—isazi sezitshalo esingumFulentshi esaziwa kangcono ngegama laso lesiLatini, elithi Carolus Clusius.

Akuthathanga sikhathi, udumo lukaClusius lwadonsa ukunakekela kweLeiden University eNetherlands, eyamnxusa ukuba abe umphathi wengadi yezitshalo yaleyunivesithi. Ngo-October 1593, uClusius—‘nezigaxa ze-tulip ezigciniwe’—wafika eLeiden. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva, entwasahlobo ka-1594, ingadi entsha kaClusius yaba indawo eyaqhakaza i-tulip yokuqala ngqá eNetherlands.

I-tulipomania—Inkathi Yesiyaluyalu

Imibala egqamile nezimo ezingavamile ze-tulip kwabakhanga abantu baseHolland. Izindaba ezimangalisayo zenani elimba eqolo lezigaxa ze-tulip elibekwa ababusi baseTurkey zenza ukuba zifiswe yizo zonke izakhamuzi ezifuna ukuvelela. Ngokushesha, ukutshala izigaxa ze-tulip kwaba ibhizinisi elizuzisayo, futhi lapho isidingo sazo sesiqala ukudlula izinga lokutholakala kwazo, amanani azo anyuka ngokushesha futhi abangela inkathi yesiyaluyalu izazi-mlando zaseHolland eziyibiza ngokuthi i-tulpenwoede, noma i-tulipomania.

I-tulipomania yafinyelela eqophelweni eliphezulu ngawo-1630 lapho izigaxa ze-tulip ziba yinto ethandwa kakhulu. Isazi-mlando sezobuciko u-Oliver Impey sithi ngalezo zinsuku kwakulula ukuthenga umdwebo we-tulip owenziwe uJan D. de Heem (umdwebi wezinto ezingaphili onekhono waseHolland wekhulu le-17) kunokuthenga isigaxa se-tulip esiyivela-kancane. Isigaxa esisodwa sasamukelwa njengelobolo likamakoti, izigaxa ezintathu zaziyinani lendlu engasemfuleni, futhi isigaxa esisodwa sezinhlobonhlobo ze-Tulipe Brasserie sasithenga indawo yokuphisa utshwala echumayo. Abathengisi bezigaxa ze-tulip babengathola imali elinganiselwa ku-R170-000 (ngokwemali yanamuhla) ngenyanga. Omunye umthombo uthi: “Ezindlini zezihambi nakoluhoho eHolland, ingxoxo nokuthengiselana kwakuphathelene nento eyodwa kuphela—izigaxa ze-tulip.”

“Amanani ayeqhubeka ephakama ayengela imikhaya eminingi evamile esesigabeni esiphakathi nempofu ekubeni yenze ibhizinisi lokuthengisa ama-tulip,” kunezela i-New Encyclopædia Britannica. “Amakhaya, izakhiwo, nezimboni kwenziwa izibambiso ukuze kuthengwe izigaxa ze-tulip ngenjongo yokubuye zithengiswe ngamanani aphezulu. Ukuthengiswa okuphindaphindiwe kwakwenziwa izikhathi eziningi izigaxa ze-tulip zingazange zikhishwe emhlabathini.” Ingcebo yayiphindwa kabili ngokuphazima kweso. Abantu abampofu baceba; abacebile baceba kakhulu. Ukuthengisa izigaxa ze-tulip kwaba imakethe enesiphithiphithi kwaze kwaba yilapho kungazelelwe, ngo-1637, kuba nabathengisi abaningi abadlula abathengi—futhi imakethe yawa. Cishe ngobusuku obubodwa, izinkulungwane zabantu baseHolland ezazicebile zaba mpofu.

Ukuthandwa Kwayo Kuyaqhubeka

Nakuba kunjalo, ukuthandwa kwe-tulip kwasinda emphumeleni we-tulipomania, imboni yezigaxa ze-tulip yaqala ukuchuma futhi. Empeleni, ngekhulu le-18 leminyaka, ama-tulip aseHolland ayesedume kangangokuthi umbusi waseTurkey, u-Ahmed III, wathenga izinkulungwane zama-tulip zivela eHolland. Ngakho ngemva kohambo olude, izithombo zaseHolland zama-tulip aseTurkey zabuyela ezweni lazo. Namuhla, ukutshala ama-tulip eNetherlands kuye kwaba imboni enkulu—noma ibhizinisi elihle, njengoba abanye besho. Kumakhilomitha-skwele angu-34 000 ezwe, amahektare angaba ngu-7700 asetshenziselwa ukutshala izigaxa ze-tulip. Unyaka ngamunye, abalimi balelizwe abangu-3300 bathumela cishe izigidi eziyinkulungwane zezigaxa ze-tulip emazweni angaphezu kuka-80.

Nakuba i-tulip iye yaba nomlando onesiyaluyalu, abantu baye baqhubeka beyithanda lentandokazi yasengadini. Emakhulwini eminyaka lembali enhle iye yashukumisela abadwebi, izimbongi, nososayensi ukuba balondoloze isimo sayo sekhethelo nemibala yayo ekhangayo endwangwini nasephepheni. Ngemva kokuba omunye wabo, usosayensi wangekhulu le-18 uJohann Christian Benemann, ebhale incwadi ephathelene ne-tulip ngesiJalimane, wayinika isihloko esithi Die Tulpe zum Ruhm ihres Schöpffers, und Vergnügung edler Gemüther (I-tulip Ekhazimulisa UMdali Wayo Nejabulisa Abakhaliphile). U-Adélaïde Stork uphawula ukuthi kuye nakwabanye abalobi abaningi, i-tulip “ayiyona into esetshenziswa umnakekeli wengadi nje kuphela, kodwa ibonakalisa ubukhulu nenkazimulo yoMdali.” Lapho ubheka lembali ekhangayo, uyokuthola kunzima ukuphika.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 18]

Indlela Ongawatshala Ngayo Ama-tulip Akho

UMA nje kunamanzi anele, cishe lonke uhlobo lwenhlabathi luyafaneleka. Nokho, ukutshala kungenziwa kube lula kakhudlwana ngokuxuba inhlabathi nesihlabathi, nomquba.

Tshala izigaxa ze-tulip ekwindla. Kunezindlela ezimbili zokuzitshala: Ungambela isigaxa ngasinye umgodi, noma wenze indinyana yokutshala zonke izigaxa ngesikhathi esisodwa.

Indlela ongatshala ngayo izigaxa ze-tulip: Kufanele ukujula kwendawo otshala kuyo kuphinde kabili ubude besigaxa. Lokho kusho ukuthi ingxenye engezansi yesigaxa (uhlangothi oluyisicaba) kufanele ijule ngamasentimitha angu-20 ngaphansi komhlaba. Gqagqanisa izigaxa ngamasentimitha angaba ngu-12.

Gqiba izigaxa ngenhlabathi ebimbiwe lapho, futhi unisele ngokushesha ukuze ukukhula kuqale. Lapho kunesithwathwa kakhulu khona ukumboza ngomquba noma amacembe avundile kuyovikela izigaxa futhi kwenze nenhlabathi ingomi. Susa amacembe avundile entwasahlobo lapho kuqala ukuvela amahlumela.

Nquma imbali ephezulu lapho isiqala ukubuna; ngaphandle kwalokho isitshalo sizoveza imbewu bese iphanga ukudla okudingwa isigaxa ukuze sikhule ngonyaka olandelayo. Yeka amaqabunga azifele ngokwemvelo, futhi uwakhiphe lapho eseba phuzi.

Kunokuba utshale uthi gqwa gqwa isigaxa lapha nalaphaya, tshala izigaxa zohlobo olulodwa nombala ofanayo ndawonye ngamaqembu. Ngaleyo ndlela uyobe wakha amabala amakhulu ahlukahlukene futhi ujabulele ngokuphelele imibalabala yezimbali eziwumsebenzi wobuciko engadini yakho.—International Flower Bulb Centre, Holland/National Geographic.

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 17]

Page 16 bottom: Nederlands Bureau voor Toerisme; Top left, center, and top right: Internationaal Bloembollen Centrum, Holland; Page 17 bottom: Nederlands Bureau voor Toerisme/Capital Press