OTTAWA While an early spring in Ottawa already has tulips blooming around the capital, organizers behind the festival named for the flower say they arent worried tourists will miss out on the colourful buds.
Some of the flowers have been in full bloom since mid-April, with the Canadian Tulip Festival set to run May 7 to 24.
But there are plenty of tulips still to come, said Mario Fournier, the National Capital Commission manager in charge of the parks and greenspace around Ottawa.
We will have a very nice show this year, Fournier said, pointing to the mild winter.
Normally were losing a certain percentage of bulbs because of frost or weather variations ... we didnt get that this winter so the percentage of bulbs that will be blooming this year is more than normal.
Every year, a million tulips bloom around the capital. The tradition started when the Dutch people gave Canada 120,000 tulip bulbs after the royal family took refuge here during the Second World War. Theyre planted by the NCC, but the festival is a separate event run by a private charity.
Tulips usually last about 10 days, depending on the weather, Fournier said, and the NCC uses different varieties that bloom at different points in the season. About 60% are due to open this week, so Fournier estimates half the tulips will be around for the Tulip Festival.
A spokesman for the festival says the flowers are only a couple of weeks early.
Were really powerless over Mother Nature, said Robin Duetta. The festival has seen years too where the festival starts and theyre all bloomed and by the end of the festival there are few left. But for the majority of the festival Im sure there will be plenty of tulips on display.
laura.payton@sunmedia.ca
