Blooming beauties: Arboretum tulip display is thriving in recent Minnesota weather
It's a sea of citrus colors with a splash of violet. Forty thousand tulips are blooming right now at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.
"Just the colors, I can't even believe it," said Deb Organ, who spent Monday chasing her granddaughter around the Tulip garden.
Coming to the arboretum is a Mother's Day week tradition for her family.
"We're surrounded by life, and that's what motherhood is about, so we absolutely love it here," said Organ.
Several families came out to see the tulips in the 80-degree temperatures.
"I bought tickets for my mom. It's one of her favorite flowers, and I saw it on TikTok and thought it was a great idea," said Savannah Such, an arboretum visitor.
The tulip display is a well-thought-out design by arboretum horticulturist Duane Otto, who has been growing these displays for 36 seasons now.
Over 100,000 visitors come to see it each spring, but Otto is at the whim of the weather each year to make his tulip display come to life. This year's weather is the perfect recipe.
"Warm sunny days and cool evenings are good for tulips," said Otto, "What's most important is we have no wind because wind is destructive for the flowers."
Not everything is in peak bloom yet at that arboretum. For example, the parrot tulip still has some time on it before it blooms, and that was an intentional move by the horticulturist.
"I also have designed later flowering plants in this display, so we will be in full bloom this weekend and into next weekend," said Otto.
Extending this blooming beauty as long as possible is more doable than in most years.
"The variety is just incredibly impressive. I was just blown away with that, just the color," said Tara Such, an arboretum visitor.