Spring flower picking is magical - as the tulips and daffodils emerge we know that winter is finally over. There is something special about the first flowers of the season.
The bloom time for tulips is the most difficult to predict, as those times vary a bit according to our spring weather. Here in southern Ontario, in colder spring seasons I've seen the first tulips bloom on Mother's Day (with a layer of snow on top!) and in other much warmer years we finish our tulip season by Mother's Day. In recent years tulip season runs from the last week in April until around Mother's Day.
Whenever tulip season begins, it runs approximately three weeks. We plant early, mid and late season tulips, but each group starts blooming a week or less apart. Cooler springs lead to a slightly longer season while a warm spring leads to a slightly shorter season. Whatever length tulip season ends up being, it is always too short ;)
Daffodils, on the other hand, start opening in late April quite consistently. And the length of their season is approximately five-six weeks as the different varieties open.
Of note, our small farm is charming and you'll find the tulips and daffodils throughout the gardens rather than in large fields. It makes for a quieter, more peaceful experience as we limit the number of tickets sold per session.
You can pick your flowers from any of the gardens - simply step carefully and watch for other plants.
You may have noticed that daffodils have a sticky sap in their stems - this sap is particularly toxic to other plants. Mixed bouquets with tulips and daffodils are beautiful but you'll need to separate them as soon as you get home, until the sap stops running. Once the sap stops running the flowers can be put together in a bouquet.
If you have pets at home you'll want to keep your tulips and daffodils out of reach, as they are both toxic.
