Orange City is preparing for its annual fall tulip planting, but problems affecting some bulbs have organizers searching for replacements and adjusting plans for next spring’s displays.
Volunteers are invited to help plant at Windmill Park on October 23 and 24. Behind those preparations, organizers are working through supply challenges involving the late-blooming tulips used to help time the community’s flowers with Tulip Festival.
Bulb Problems Prompt Search for Alternatives
Planting organizer John Buntsma says the bulb problems trace back to the Netherlands.
“There’s a disease called Fusarium, and apparently that was a fungal issue that hit all the late-blooming bulbs. And we always utilize late-blooming bulbs.”
Buntsma says if organizers used early varieties, he says, visitors could arrive to find only stems after the flowers had finished blooming.
Along with contacting their current supplier, Buntsma says they are looking elsewhere.
“We go to a vendor that we’ve utilized in the past and see what they’ve got available. We check with tulip growers in Washington state to see what they’ve got available. And then the fallback thing is last year’s tulips.”
Buntsma says organizers plan to replant some bulbs retained from last year. As a result, there will be no free public tulip bulb distribution this year.
Normally, bulbs are removed after Tulip Festival to make room for annual flowers. They are later made available to the public after planting needs elsewhere in the city are addressed.
Buntsma says problematic bulbs from the previous Windmill Park planting were discarded, while some other retained bulbs will help fill this year’s needs.
Replacement availability could also affect the appearance of next spring’s displays. Buntsma says some beds may feature mixed colors because of the bulb problems.
Volunteers Help Prepare Next Spring’s Displays
Buntsma and Nora Mulder are leading the volunteer planting effort at Windmill Park. Separate crews handle Tulip Lane, entrances to the community, and other locations around Orange City.
According to the event announcement, planting is scheduled for Friday, October 23, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday, October 24, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and continuing until the work is finished. Volunteers should meet at Windmill Park. Rain dates are October 30 and 31.
No experience or advance registration is required, and volunteers can participate for whatever amount of time fits their schedules.
Participants are encouraged to bring a garden spade and gloves. Knee pads may also be helpful. A limited number of tools and knee pads will be available.
Organizers will provide pictures to help volunteers recognize potentially problematic bulbs and set them aside during planting.
For Buntsma, the work offers an opportunity to help create something volunteers can enjoy months later.
“Then when spring comes and the tulips start blooming, you can take a lot of ownership. The volunteers who did that, you know, they were part of creating those beautiful beds.”
Anyone with questions about volunteering can contact Buntsma at 712-574-1619, and even though it isn’t required, volunteers can register here.
