Planting Tulips for Tulipmania

Last week I was involved in an incredibly fun morning at the Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay - planting tulips for Tulipmania which opens today, 29 April 2013.  

Like many here we don't have a garden, just a balcony with a few pot plants on it and whilst we've tried to grow plants in the past we've had varying degrees of success at this.  I'm not a massive gardening fanatic (though I reckon if I had a garden I'd love it) but the opportunity to get my hands a little dirty and do something a bit different sounded like a lot of fun and something not to be missed!


I arrived bright and early and there were already a lot of volunteers busy planting the bulbs in the Flower Field area of the dome.  It was a very organised morning, with limited time to get the planting done it certainly needed to be.  The bulbs were planted sections at a time (you can see the tape dividing the sections in my photos) according to a plan which will see the tulips bloom in rows in a variety of different colours.  It was fascinating to watch how quickly the rows were planted up.  Of course as well as watching the others doing it I got to do a bit myself.  I was nowhere near as efficient as those who had been doing it all the morning but it was great fun and certainly not something I ever imagined I'd be doing at the Flower Dome.


Tulipmania is a three week event beginning today, 29 April 2013.  It has been organised to bring people 'closer to the wonders of nature' and to take 'visitors on a botanical journey into the world of tulips'.  There will be an amazing 20,000 bulbs all flown in from the Netherlands on display during these three weeks in many different colours, including red, pink, yellow, white and purple.  You can also see a variety of other beautiful spring blooms in the Flower Dome such as lilies, hyacinths, daffodils and muscari.  There are plenty of activities arranged as well for everyone to get involved in whilst Tulipmania is on.  These include activity sheets for children and events such as Dutch cheese tasting as well as special promotions, including a 15% discount on admission into the cooled conservatories during Mother’s Day weekend (10-12 May), and a chance to win a pair of tickets to Keukenhof, Holland in 2014.  Take a look at Gardens by the Bay's website for more details of these and everything else that is happening.


The Flower Field is sure to look amazing when all the tulips in all their beautiful colours are in bloom.  I really hope to get back there again to see them, especially as I helped plant a few of the bulbs!

A few tulips that had already been planted

This was the row I helped to plant

Tulip Facts - how many did you know?

Tulipmania is on now from the 29 April 2013 to 20 May 2013 at the Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay.  Check out their website for more information and 'tip-toe through the tulips' there soon.

The Flower Dome is open from 9am - 9pm.  Admission charge to the Flower Dome applies.


Thanks to Gardens by the Bay for the kind invitation to take part in the tulip planting.

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