Tulips (Washington State)

Tulips (Washington State)This documentary covers a variety of topics including cultivation and farming activities, meeting people who raise and process these beautiful flowers and bulbs, and discovering the many varieties and colors of Tulips that have been developed. In recent years the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, in Washington state, has taken on county fair proportions becoming a "Rite of Spring" for the entire region. Each April, hundreds of acres of blooming fields

This documentary covers a variety of topics including cultivation and farming activities, meeting people who raise and process these beautiful flowers and bulbs, and discovering the many varieties and colors of Tulips that have been developed. In recent years the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, in Washington state, has taken on county fair proportions becoming a "Rite of Spring" for the entire region. Each April, hundreds of acres of blooming fields attract nearly a half million visitors from all over the world. This new DVD also takes a deep look at the hard work throughout the year that goes into creating the magnificent Tulip flower as well as the process of bulb farming. In the Fall, planting and fertilizing, Spring brings harvesting, and Summer the bulbs are dug up to be cleaned, sorted and stored for replanting in the Fall so the cycle of bulb cultivation can continue.

DVDDASE8 REVIEW: Tulips of Skagit Valley, Washington
Beautifully filmed in Widescreen digital high definition and backed with a Dolby stereo soundtrack, Tulips of Skagit Valley, Washington offers dew-covered close-ups of a dazzling array of tulips, with the camera lingering over the likes of "Abigail" and "Monte Carlo" and "Zurel" among the staggering display of varieties found in this fertile valley setting.

During a couple of weeks each April, hundreds of acres in Washington state's Skagit Valley boast over three million blooming bulbs, and the place is alive with the sounds of camera shutters clicking and nearly half a million tourists "ooh"ing and "ah"-ing over the flower that had Tiny Tim tiptoeing. Viewers see the gorgeous spring explosion of color, followed by the fading bloom and summer harvest, as bulbs are dug up, cleaned, sorted, and stored for either selling or replanting the following fall.

We also meet the DeGoede family, owners and operators of "Tulip Town," and learn about the hard work involved in bulb cultivation, marketing, selling and shipping, as well as the need to add a "surprise element" year after year to keep the tourists coming back (such as the horse-drawn Tulip Trolley, the inside Beer Garden, hamburger stands, kite stores, water wheel, windmill, and gift shops). In addition, the program features a segment on home gardening with tips for successfully planting tulips, and the DVD version includes a charming bonus conversation with Anthony and Jeannette DeGoede. A visual love letter to the region, backed with charming music, this is sure to appeal to both armchair travelers and gardening buffs. Highly Recommended.

DVDDASE8 REVIEW: Tulips of Skagit Valley, Washington
Tiptoe through the tulips? Perhaps. The sight of endless fields of beautiful tulips at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington State invites us to do just that. Although much time is consumed with beautifully composed shots of perfect blooms, the video also documents the planting, growing, harvesting and selling of tulip bulbs for the consumer.

Also, the home gardener is briefly shown how to plant and grow tulips properly, and there are good tips that are not always found in gardening books (e.g. if you are planting tulips as a border, position the bulbs in the holes so that the flat side of the bulb points toward the edge of the flower bed: the leaves will grow out in that direction, and the plants will look nicer). The technical aspects of the production are solid. Though this video could appeal to tulip enthusiasts, it was apparently produced primarily for sale to tourists attending the valley's annual festival, making it a marginal purchase for most libraries. Purchase if strong interest warrants.