![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/COGB-Horticulturist_JHough12-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBEHIND the fifty thousand tulips that paint the city red, yellow and pink this spring are seven horticulturists set on bringing colour and positivity to the region.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a mammoth effort to get the much-loved displays to bloom, and horticulturalist with the City of Greater Bendigo, Kerina McIntyre, said planning starts six months in advance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s phenomenal actually,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe begin as soon as we have the next catalogue from Broersen Bulbs, who we get our bulbs off, and we\u2019ll sit down as a team, go over previous records, have ideas of different displays of what we want to do in our mind and each person will have a go at doing a particular bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years we\u2019ve worked out roughly by various patterns how many tulips we need to order but there\u2019s more to it than that.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of tulips are in various heights ranging from 35 to 65 centimetres and they can flower at early, mid or late spring, so we have to make sure that the tulips in each bed complement each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
To prepare the beds the team check the pH levels of the soil and add different fertilisers to help rejuvenate the area.<\/p>\n
Every single one of the bulbs are planted by hand, and this year it took the seven horticulturalists about a month. Hours of work then follow to tend to the flowers as they grow.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce the tulips start appearing through the soil, there\u2019d be three hours minimum a day just ensuring weed control,\u201d Ms McIntyre said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year I put some annuals with the displays in the Queen\u2019s Gardens so that adds to the work because you have to maintain the annuals as well with fertilizing.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/bendigotimes\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/COGB-Horticulturist_JHough10-300x200.jpg\")
\n\u201cThere\u2019s at least two days out of the week dedicated to it because it\u2019s not just the actual tulip beds, it\u2019s the surroundings as well, having the lawns perfect, the edges perfect.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done a lot of work with the roses as well and the displays that complement in the Conservatory.\u201d<\/p>\n
By this point, Ms McIntyre said the team are \u201cgetting pretty good at it\u201d, knowing that their work brings joy to people around the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the reason why I do it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just love seeing how everyone\u2019s so happy, the amount of children that come down and have their photos taken in front of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we do is just to make sure people appreciate it and it\u2019s even more so this year, seeing them come out of lockdown, everyone needs this at the moment and I can really see everyone enjoying it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BEHIND the fifty thousand tulips that paint the city red, yellow and pink this spring are seven horticulturists set on bringing colour and positivity to the region. It\u2019s a mammoth effort to get the much-loved displays to bloom, and horticulturalist with the City of Greater Bendigo, Kerina McIntyre, said planning starts six months in advance. […]<\/p>\n