10,000 Tulips - Only a Few Magical Weeks

This is the second year I’ve planted more than 10,000 tulips here at Buzzin' Blooms. I lost count somewhere along the way this fall, but there are definitely more than last year—spread across more than 40 varieties of specialty tulips.

People sometimes assume the biggest cost of tulips is the tiny bulb itself. But the real cost is everything around it—soil, lumber for raised beds, chicken wire above and below to keep out mice and gophers, fencing to protect them from deer and rabbits, the inevitable losses (10–15% is considered normal), tariffs this year, and of course the hours of watering, tending, and harvesting. If I truly accounted for all of that, these tulips would probably cost about $50 a dozen… and I’m honestly not kidding.

It is very much a labor of love.

The very last of the tulips were planted in the dark on Sunday, Nov 23rd. Yes, I do have the most patient husband in the world.

Tulips were actually my first flower love. They were the flowers at our wedding back in 1995—long before I knew anything about cut flowers… or even tulips, for that matter.

Don’t tell the tulips, but this might be their last year here on the farm.

Planting them in the fall isn’t actually the hard part. Getting them all the way to bloom in Minnesota is the real challenge. Too much rain, not enough rain. Chicken wire below and above the beds to keep out mice and gophers. Fencing to prevent death by deer and rabbits. And then there are the spring winds… which wiped out about 1,500 of them last year.

And financially? Let’s just say if you divide the profit by the hours, I’m probably making about $2 an hour.

But they are just so beautiful… and every year I get sucked back in.

Here’s another fun fact: if I wanted to do this again next year, I should actually be ordering the bulbs right now. Crazy, right?

There’s also a delicate balance once they start blooming. For bouquets, tulips need to be picked in the cracked bud stage so they can be stored in the cooler. But I also want to leave plenty in the field so people can experience them blooming during our You-Pick days.

And speaking of You-Pick—while it may seem a little unusual, coming out to pick your own flowers is really an experience. The price reflects more than just the flowers themselves. It helps support the time and care that goes into preparing the property so guests can wander the fields, take photos, relax, and enjoy time among the tulips before gathering their own bouquet.

Choosing which ones to take home is difficult at best.

I’m not aware of any other tulip You-Picks in southeast Minnesota—especially with the variety of specialty tulips we grow here. So if a trip to Amsterdam (or even Pella, Iowa) isn’t in the cards this spring, I hope you’ll come visit our little farm instead.

Tulips only bloom for a few short weeks in early May, and I even took my annual vacation so I could be here for you—and for the tulips.

Come see them while they last. 🌷

** Visiting will be a ticketed attendance, as we have limited parking space and I also want you to have a pleasant and relaxing experience.