Several years ago I was helping out in a neighbor's back yard.  The yard was quite deep and I discovered during the course of my work that my neighbor kept an eight by ten area at the very back for a large compost pile.  Her landscaper routinely dumped the grass clippings and fall leaves there, and even though the pile was never watered or turned, over time it broke down into first class compost. 

On my first trip back to dump a load of garden debris, a flash of yellow caught my eye.  I went over to the shallow end of the compost area and saw that a single, pale yellow fringed tulip had pushed its way up through the compost.  It was beautiful--tall and elegant, with fringed petal edges.  I wanted it, but when I asked my neighbor about it, she just said, "Oh, it always grows there.  Someday I'll move it to a better spot."

Since my neighbor obviously valued the tulip--at least a little--I couldn't just appropriate it.  Instead I sought out other fringed varieties, which now populate my garden. Fringed tulips have waxed and waned in popularity over the years and they are probably due for a come-back.  Though there are some lovely double forms on the market, I prefer the simplicity of the single types. 

Tulips do not always return reliably, but I find that my fringed ones return well, at least for several years.  I install a few extra every fall though, to ensure a good display.