Posted on 05/15/2022 8:31:09 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
HOLLAND, Mich. — A first-time, popular Tulip Time Festival exhibit is closing Sunday due to unusually warm weather, which has been record-breaking in parts of West Michigan.
Organizers said hundreds of tulips at the Immersion Garden in Holland are wilting sooner than they normally would.
“The tulips really like it to be about 40 degrees at night, 60 degrees during the day," Gwen Auwerda, executive director for the Tulip Time Festival. "So when its 80 degrees during the day or 90 degrees at night, they just wilt really quickly."
The tulips planted in downtown Holland are faring a lot better in the heat. Those flowers are planted in the ground, providing more moisture and room in the dirt than the potted tulips at the Immersion Garden.
It's disappointing the garden will close early, but Auwerda said it's the best decision.
“It’s all about the visitor experience, and if they can’t have a good experience and see the beauty of the tulip, it’s not worth it,” Auwerda said.
Several employees were watering the Immersion Garden tulips Friday night to get ready for thousands to see them Saturday.
The entire tulip exhibit is watered twice a day, and it takes about three hours each time, Auwerda said.
“We want people to have a great visitor experience, and this isn’t what we expected,” said Auwerda.
700 people had reservations to see the Immersion Garden Sunday, according to Auwerda.
It would have a financial impact for the Tulip Time Festival.
"But not a terrible one," Auwerda said.
Other Tulip Time events are still open Sunday, including the carnival, city parks, and walking tours.
“It has been a record-breaking week with shows and events sold out, and crowds were beyond what we expected,” Auwerda said.
Festival organizers will be selling tulips for people to transplant into their own gardens.
Small pots cost $5, and the large pots $10.
Here in the Seattle area, we’ve had one of the coolest springs in years. Lately, highs have been in the low to mid 50s instead of the usual mid 60s.
90 degrees at night? In Holland, MI?
I think not.
I’m in the SW corner of Wisconsin. We had a brutal heat wave here last week. My tulips looked perfect - FOR ONE DAY. Then, they all got baked. :(
The foliage is OK for the most part - that will put energy back down into the bulb for next Spring. Hopefully!
Gimme a friendly break. It’s been the coolest spring recovery we’ve had here in Michigan, finally had one week in the eighties and its going back to highs in 60s / lows in 40s and the rocket scientists are blaming global warming again.
Un-be-friggin-lievable!
I got to visit the Keukenhof in The Netherlands about 2 months before leaving Europe as I concluded my active duty time in the Army. It was mid-April and a freak winter-like storm came across the English Channel the night before and the flower petals had ice/sleet pellets inside their bowl shape. Otherwise, it was a typical cool spring morning in Holland and the flowers remained beautiful after a very cold night.
I suggest we all social distance, wear masks and get quadruple vaccinated until all.this wilting is over with... can’t be too safe these days!
Our spring has been cold wet and miserable again this year. Just had 2 days of hot humid, but supposed to get cool again.
The left are u real. It’s just like the mass shootings where shooter after shooter after shooter turns out to,be a liberal whacko, and they say nothing, then al, of a sudden a supposed “white supremacist” goes on a rampage, and the left come out screaming about “all the shootings done by white supremacists”.
We had cold spring after cold spring, which the left ignored totally, then we get a few hot days, and all of a sudden the left are a creaming about “record heat” again.
It never ends with them. Their,hypocrisy is stunning
Tulip Time in Holland MI will take your breath away.
L
Snow skiing on Mt Baker again, first time that’s ever happened🤪
More climate BS. I am an hour from Holland there is no extreme heat
Tulips actually have a very fascinating History. Made or Broke a lot of people back in the day.
These were “yawn” events back in the days of common sense and rational thought. Now, little Susie’s tricycle tire is overinflated due to summer heat, and every major news outlet reports it as climate change.
But, they HAVE to plant them in pots, hence the name ‘Immersion Garden.’
That way, people can buy the pot of bulbs as is to replant in their gardens and no one has to dig anything up. It’s a fundraiser they do every year.
So, yes. The ‘festival’ will go on as usual, and the Main Drag doesn’t look AS ratty as the potted bulbs, and people will still have fun, but it’s still not the whole package, per normal.
My tulips went from gorgeous to fried in two days in our Heat Wave. (SW corner of Wisconsin.) I went from having the furnace on STRAIGHT to the A/C!
BUT - my Lilacs are blooming and the Peonies are right behind, and we’re back to normal Spring temps, so all is well in my little world, as I’m sure it will be in Holland, MI. :)
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