HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – Officials at Tulip Time are gearing up for another great festival yet many wonder with the unseasonably warm weather we’ve had off and on, will the tulips be affected.
Gwen Auwerda is the Executive Director of Tulip Time and she tells WHTC News that the tulips are coming along just fine.
“I’ve learned a lot about the horticulture piece of tulips since I’ve been in this job. Tulips are a bulb and are planted in the Fall. The need to rest all Winter long. While the ground is frozen a bit, they will begin to sprout. Their roots and leaves sprout and while you can see today a few starting to pop out, this cold weather is helpful. They sleep at night and the cold weather keeps them at bay. We’re not yet concerned about them blooming too early, but we need to see what the weather is doing in the next two to three weeks. You can see tulips start to pop out of the ground on 8th Street, but I always like to remind people that late variety tulips are planted in that area and it’s also heated by snowmelt. Those are always the first to come up.”
Auwerda says between all the attractions there are 4 1/2 million tulips planted in Holland.
Join the celebration of Dutch Culture, Community and Tulips at Tulip Time May 6 – 14, 2017.
