Will Pella Tulips Be Hampered By Snow and Cold? - ABC5 News Des Moines, IA

Will Pella Tulips Be Hampered By Snow and Cold?

By: Jason Rantala

jrantala@myabc5.com

@jarantala

We are a little more than one month until tulip time in Pella, but with the cold temps and seemingly never ending snow, will they be ready in time?

Tulip time in Pella means 150,000 visitors and hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

Last year, warm temps made for an early bloom for Pella's more than 300,000 tulips. This year has of course brought plenty of cold temps and snow. 

It's six weeks until tulip time and snow still blankets many flower beds around town.

"Last year at this time, we'd already had eight or nine 80 degree days," said Randy Sikkema, a longtime Pella tulip planter.

However, all this snow can actually be a good thing.

"Nothing wrong with the health of the tulips, they're going to be beautiful at the right time," said Sikkema.

Tulip Time last year saw plenty of beautiful tulips, however they peaked before the festival.

Last year's festival saw three weeks worth of good flowers, rather than three days.

That benefited most businesses, but hurt some non–profit vendors.

With six weeks to go and six months to blossom, this year's event should see flowers right on time.

As long as the flowers haven't bloomed, extra snow pack can only help, since it both insulates and hydrates the plants.

"I think we're going to have a perfect bloom if things continue as they are," said Vandevoort.