by Denise Seith

Created on: March 17, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Tiptoe Through the Tulips in Woodburn, Oregon

Each spring, Mother Nature blankets Oregon's fertile Willamette Valley with hundreds of acres of living color- tulips, iris, peonies- in hues that rival the rainbow. Although the timing of peak bloom season is really up to Mother Nature, the tulips pretty much lead the way, and this year is no exception.

The 24th annual Tulip Fest kicks off at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn, Oregon on March 25 and continues through April 26. Of course wherever you find fields of beautiful flowers, you'll also find plenty of admirers. Each year, thousands of visitors from around the world come to the Willamette Valley to marvel at the striking blooms. Be sure to join them- after all, there's 40 acres of tulips and daffodils to wander through at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. It's not uncommon to see entire families posing for portraits; the multi-colored flowers make the prettiest of backdrops. As you stroll, don't forget to look UP once in a while because during calm weather, brilliantly patterned hot air balloons float over the fields. And snow-capped majestic Mount Hood looms on the horizon, too!

Ask just about anyone where tulips originated and you'll likely be told "Holland." Although the bulbs first became popular in the Netherlands more than 400 years ago, the tulip is actually native to central Asia- in the region near modern day Islamabad, close to the border of Russia and China. From there, tulips spread to other regions. The Latin name for tulip is Tulipa, which comes from the Turkish word tulbend or "turban" which the flower resembles. Today, Holland boasts over 23,000 acres of planted tulip bulbs, and in 1849, the first bollenreiziger, or traveling bulb salesman, came to the United States. America is now the top tulip bulb importer, followed closely by Japan and Germany.

The Iverson family began growing tulips in Woodburn, Oregon in1974, but it wasn't until Easter weekend 1986 that their fields were first opened to the public. As they say, the rest is history because this popular annual festival has been going strong every since! Come through the week to avoid crowds (and save half price on the per-carload admission fee). But if you don't mind lots of people, weekends at Wooden Shoe are especially lively with the addition of music, wine tasting, food, and a variety of special activities. Kids enjoy ducky races, horse swings, a bumpy slide, cow train, and more. Green thumbs love to browse in Wooden Shoe's extensive gift shop where cut flowers, potted tulips, gardening supplies, and bulbs for fall planting can be purchased. And if you need help or advice on anything concerning tulips, don't be shy. The Woodburn Tulip Festival is not only filled with family fun, it's staffed with experts who love to share their knowledge.

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