The Vankleek Hill Tulip Fields should be even more spectacular in 2023, with the addition of raised garden boxes to the multi-coloured rows of tulips which were on display in 2022.
With unpredictable spring weather so far in April, and snow still on the ground, it is difficult to forecast the exact date the tulip fields will be ready to open to the public. However, the owners of the Vankleek Hill Tulip Fields, located at 199 Main Street in the village, are currently planning to open the site on Thursday, May 11.
“We’re playing it by ear and following what Ottawa is predicting for their tulip festival,” explained Sandra Bebbington-Block, who co-owns the site with husband Mike Block. “It’s a combination of playing the wait-and-see game to see how fast the snow melts, and planning all the little fine details.”
The Canadian Tulip Festival is scheduled to begin in Ottawa on Friday, May 12, and if their prediction holds, Vankleek Hill’s tulips should be ready a couple of days before those in Canada’s capital city.
“We’re a little earlier, but not by much, and we would rather start on a Thursday or Friday than on Saturday,” Bebbington-Block said.
The 2023 season will be the second for the Vankleek Hill Tulip Fields, which opened to the public in May of 2022 to extremely positive reviews. With the initial set up complete and one season under their belts, the site’s owners have been able to plan upgrades for 2023, as well as organize professional photography sessions. More information on how to book photography sessions is available on the Vankleek Hill Tulip Fields Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/vkhtulipfields.
New additions to the site for 2023 include raised sustainable garden boxes, which will be located to the east of the multi-coloured fields.
“They will allow us to be more environmentally friendly and more sustainable – not only for the ground, but for the bulbs,” Bebbington-Block observed.
The multiple 12-foot-by-four-foot garden boxes will each contain approximately 1,000 tulips, of an assortment of varities and colours.
“They’re all specialty varieties,” the site’s co-owner said. “There’s two-tones; there’s double tulips that will open up more like a rose; there’s bulbs that will start out yellow and then turn to orange.”
“We’re trying out a bunch of specialty varieties to keep it interesting and new for those who are return visitors, and test out a new planting method at the same time.”
During the season, the Vankleek Hill Tulip Fields will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
“It looks to be a very promising season,” Bebbington-Block said, noting the fields should be open in time for Mother’s Day and through the May long weekend.
Thousands of visitors flocked to Vankleek Hill while the fields were open in 2022 and the site’s owners expect word of mouth to lead to even more visits in 2023.
“We had a late start to the season and were only open 10 days, but we had over 3,000 visitors and more than 30,000 tulips were picked,” Bebbington-Block said. “I can only image it’s going to be even better this year.”
More information on the Vankleek Hill Tulip Fields can be found on the site’s webpage at https://www.vkhtulipfields.com/, or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/vkhtulipfields.
