Magical tulips put on a show

TIPTOE through the tulips in Ascot this weekend by visiting Lambley Gardens and Nursery’s free spring flower display.

David Glenn first grew tulips on the property 15 years ago, starting modestly with three or four thousand. In 2021, approximately 20,000 of these flowers in varying, vibrant colours are thriving on site.

“They are really magic. We love them, and they make for a good show,” he said.

“Dutch tulips are concentrated in the flower garden. We order them in, and the best ones for the Central Highlands area that can be left in the garden through the year are the Darwin tulips.

“We buy them all from third generation Dutch Australians who grow them in Tasmania.”

Mr Glenn’s favourite type of tulip, Saigon, is a rich purple colour. He is also fond of the lemon-coloured variety, Friendship, and the late-flowering Rosalie in pink.

“They were at their peak a little bit earlier this year, but there’s so much colour. They really go on for about six or seven weeks…through to the third week in October.

“They overlap with our 22-year-old cherry blossoms up the drive, too,” Mr Glenn said.

“They’re a Japanese variety called Mount Fuji. One of our granddaughters was born at the base of Mount Fuji the year we planted them.”

Poppies are grown beside the tulips in the flower garden. Wild tulip varieties are grown in other parts of the property, and are native to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, central Asia, Turkey, and Crete.

Over recent weekends, “many hundreds” of regional Victorian people visited the two-acre gardens and the nursery each day.

“Children, parents and grandparents come out and picnic under the cherry blossom trees, and the children run around the garden. It’s really special,” Mr Glenn said.

“Such a beautiful display offers a relief from the stresses of COVID. We feel blessed to have this garden and we love to share it with people.”