Not too long ago it was 2016, and now we’re already deep into March. For flower fans, however, that means just one thing – it’s tulip time!
Tulips are the eye-catching heralds of spring, so the stage is set for forthcoming floral fun. Check out these unmissable destinations that prove spring just isn’t spring without the tulips.
1. Everland’s Four Seasons Garden Tulip Festival – Yongin, Korea
Everland welcomes spring with its annual tulip festival at the Four Seasons Garden. This year, it’s time to get snap happy with the Garden Studio, an entire hectare of spring flowers, with some 20 themed photo spots created in collaboration with photographer Joong Seok Oh. These include a wedding arch, a flower swing, a giant chair and the 26m Flower Magic Tower. At the Global Fair near the main gate, a variety of tulip pollen exhibits await, and 700 flowerpot varieties that will get Pinterest pinners chomping at the bit. You can also peruse 30 varieties of rare tulip, including striped varieties with two-color petals, like the Doberman tulip – as well as exciting parades and a multimedia fireworks show. It runs from March 16 to April 23, and you can check out a gallery of images from the festival below!
2. Keukenhof Tulip Festival – Lisse, Netherlands
Though they actually originated in Turkey, you can’t talk tulips without mentioning the flower’s spiritual home, the Netherlands. The Keukenhof Tulip Festival has its roots in the 16th century, when the tulip was first introduced to the country. During the so-called Tulip Mania period in the 1630s, the price of a Viceroy tulip bulb skyrocketed to the equivalent of 10 times an artisan’s annual salary (around US$350,000 in today’s money). These prized tulips are again the main attraction at this year’s festival. The theme for 2017 is Dutch Design, with leading artists set to collaborate. The event runs from March 23 to May 21.
3. Corbett Gardens – Bowral, Australia
Down Under, spring comes around in September – and that’s the time to check out Oz’s terrific tulips. Australia’s Tulip Time Festival at Corbett Gardens is marking its 57th anniversary this year, and was named World Tulip Festival of the Year by the World Tulip Summit Society in 2015. During the festival, Corbett Gardens will showcase activities and attractions, including music shows, market stalls, a street parade and, of course, plenty of tulips. It runs from September 12 to 24.
4. Tonami Tulip Festival – Tonami City, Japan
The Tonami Tulip Festival boasts 2.5 million tulips of 600 different varieties, and a bird’s eye view of the festival from the tall Tulip Tower reveals a breathtaking mosaic of color. One of the key highlights of the festival is its fashion show, where haute couture meets botanic beauty. Here, 30,000 tulips are used to recreate the famous Toyama sightseeing spot, and you can also check out a “snow valley” composed entirely of tulips. With its famous nearby road, lined with 400m of spring-blossoming Japanese cherry trees, this is a spot beloved by dating couples and flower lovers alike.
5. Pashley Manor Gardens Tulip Festival – Wadhurst, United Kingdom
This festival is held to celebrate the anniversary of the flower’s arrival in Europe. You can find over 30,000 tulips here, and wander through color-themed garden rooms. These are connected by corridors lined with white lily-flowered and classic tulips that adorn an old brick terrace. There’s also a winding woodland path, with spring-blooming bluebells at every step of the way. But the tulips are the real stars of the show – with cut flowers also on display in a marquee run by Bloms Bulbs, winners of 65 gold medals at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. You can catch all the fun from April 22 to May 7.
