Here’s what you need to know about tulips in Ottawa

The tulips in bloom along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 6. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)

The tulips are now in bloom across Ottawa, with close to one million tulips brightening up the region this spring.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) created the first tulip beds in Ottawa in 1945, with the tulips gifted to Canada from the Netherlands in recognition for Canada’s role in the liberation of the country.

“The tradition continues to this day: every year, we plant the gifted bulbs in Commissioners Park. Tulips are a symbol of lasting friendship between Canada and the Netherlands,” the NCC said.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at where you can see the tulips blooming in Ottawa this spring.

Canadian Tulip Festival

The Canadian Tulip Festival runs from May 8 to 19 at Dow’s Lake in Ottawa.

The festival features over 300,000 blooms and over 100 unique varieties of tulips at Commissioners Park.

The Tulip Festival features the following:

• Tulip Trek: A self-guided tour through the gardens to learn about the history of Commissioners Park and the “symbolism of the ‘Gifts of Tulips.’”
• The Tulip Trail
• Ottawa Tulip Taxi
• The Dutch Pavilion – a Dutch experience with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Arteast Pavilion
• Tulip Market (open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends)

For more information on the Canadian Tulip Festival, visit www.tulipfestival.ca.

Tulipfest at Saunders Farm

Nearly half a million tulips are in bloom at Saunders Farm on Bleeks Road in Munster.

Check out the expansive tulip fields and take a walk along the scenic pathways through colourful floral displays at Tulipfest.

“The tulip bulbs were sourced from the Netherlands and carefully selected to include early, mid, and late-blooming varieties,” Saunders Farm said on its website.

“This approach helps ensure dazzling colour throughout the festival in harmony with the natural rhythm of spring.”

Tulipfest also features Instagram-worthy photo ops and tulip installations, Dutch-themed food, Saunders cider and a Farmshop with tulip-themed gifts.

Tulipfest runs from May 9 to 24, with the festival open daily between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

For tickets, visit https://saundersfarm.com/tulipfest/.

Places to see the tulips

Commissioners Park

The National Capital Commission calls Commissioners Park the “showstopper” for tulips in the national capital region. Over 100 verities of bulbs in 30 tulip beds are on display at the major tulip display site in Ottawa.

The beds include the “Queen Juliana Gift Bed, which features the bulbs donated by the Netherlands.”

The Rideau Canal

Take a stroll or a bike ride along the Rideau Canal to see colourful tulip beds along Queen Elizabeth Driveway and the Rideau Canal Western Pathway. There are also tulip beds at Lansdowne Park.

Major’s Hill Park

Major’s Hill Park is “one of the best sites to see tulips blooming in the spring,” according to the NCC.

You can view tulip beds along the pathway with Parliament Hill in the background, or on the northeastern edge of the park facing the National Gallery of Canada.

There is also a “tulip of thanks” bed in Major’s Hill Park, dedicated to front-line workers.

Downtown Ottawa

Planters with blooming tulips are set up along Confederation Boulevard in downtown Ottawa.

You can see tulips in front of the Senate of Canada Building and at the National War Memorial.

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