It’s Tulip Time!

April is next week! Behold, Tulipa gesneriana.tulips1

Tulips are fortunate to have many fine associations, such as early Spring and Easter. You’ve likely started to see them for sale at your local farmer’s market. They earned a black mark in history, however, when they were popularized during Tulip mania in Holland in the 1630s, resulting in one of the first documented economic bubbles. Though often associated with Holland, both the flower and its common name actually hail from the Persian empire.

Tis the season for tulip festivals in the Pacific Northwest. Head to the Willamette Valley for the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Oregon, and to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington.

Lauren Braden’s new book, 52 Ways to Nature, Washington: Your Seasonal Guide to a Wilder Year, is now available

7 Responses

  1. I am SO looking forward to the Skagit Tulip Festival. For me, it marks the end of our dreary Northwest winter. I’ll be getting our bikes tuned up this weekend or next so we can cycle around the tulip fields – something I highly recommend, especially with children.

  2. Thanks! Oh, and I should mention I wrote about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival here last year, including info on tulip-watching by bike. There are a few cheap sleeps suggestions there, and to those I must add the Hotel Planter in downtown La Conner, which has an art-filled courtyard and really splendid hot tub. Rooms for $99, but ask about specials!

  3. I love it when spring flowers like tulips begin appearing in my local produce/flower market! Reminds me I should try to get out to the Tulip Fest in Holland, Michigan one of these years. Don’t think I’ve been since I was about 8 years old!

    Thanks for the beautiful spring photo!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.