Tulip Bulb Sale
Beautify your garden for the coming spring with the Parks Department's annual tulip bulb sale!
The sale will take place on May 23 and May 24, 2024, from 1 – 6 p.m. at the Parks Department facility in Southside Park, 192 Old Wellington St. S.
You can purchase a bag of 20 bulbs for $5. Payment is cash only. Bags will not be provided — please bring your own.
This event sells out quickly, so we encourage you to come early! Bulbs are sold by location while supplies last. Your choice of colour is not guaranteed.
Locations and varieties
Update — May 24 as of 2:35 p.m.: All tulip bulbs are now sold out.
- Dundas Street / Museum Square: Christmas Dream, Pamplona, Margarita, Foxy Foxtrot
- Cenotaph: Red Emperor, White Prince, Sweetheart Tulip
- Vansittart Avenue: Flaming Prince, Orange Emperor, Flaire, Sunny Prince
- Gazebo: Muscari Armeniacum, Margarita, Clusiana Peppermint Stick, Sunny Prince, Candy Prince
- Wellington Street Triangle / Southside Triangle: Muscari Armeniacum, Jolly Moonscape
Storing and planting your bulbs
The bulbs you will receive have been dried and can be planted right away. You may also wait to plant the bulbs until the fall. Here is some information about how to store and care for different varieties of hardy bulbs:
| Tulips |
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Wait until the foliage has died down before digging the bulbs and then store them in flats in a dry garage, shed or attic. When the bulbs are thoroughly dry, remove the older roots from the bulbs, give them a good clean and store them again until September. Bulbs with a diameter of 7/8 inch (2.2 cm) or larger will likely flower again the following year. Tulips deteriorate rapidly after three years and should be divided or replaced. If the space where tulips are growing is needed for annuals, dig the bulbs while the foliage is still green and the flower has faded. Transplant the bulbs with roots, soil and foliage attached into trenches 6 inches (15 cm) deep. Cover the roots and allow the plants to die down naturally. They may then be dug as usual and the bulbs dried and stored. |
| Narcissus and Daffodil |
|
Narcissus and daffodil can be left undisturbed until the clumps become overcrowded and the flowers are small. The length of time they may be left in the ground depends on the flower and where it's planted. In our area, one variety (Glory of Sassenheim) has grown in the same clump in semi-shade for 15 years and it still produces a good crop of sizable blooms. Dig the bulbs after all the foliage has turned brown, dry them and store them in a cool, well-ventilated place, such as the garage or shed, until September. Sometime during this period, when the bulbs are thoroughly dry and clean, you can divide them. In early fall, plant the large bulbs in the border and the small bulbs in an area where they may be allowed to develop for another year. |
| Other Hardy Bulbs |
| Other hardy spring-flowering bulbs such as Muscari, Crocus, Scilla and Chionodoxa seldom need digging but can be treated the same way as recommended for narcissus and tulips. |
