Tulips (and Miffy!) by the Bay

Media Invite

(Daddy plants)

UPDATED: http://www.cheekiemonkie.net/2014/04/lets-go-dutch-at-tulipmania-2014.html

You know something special is once again in the air when the Flower Field in the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay is stripped bare, and inconspicuous tiny bulbs planted all around the field.

But these are no ordinary bulbs, because in less than a week's time, they will bloom and add a splash of happy colours to the Flower Dome.

Yes, the one flower event which exceeded all expectations - Tulipmania - is back once again. Last year, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines had partnered Gardens by the Bay as Official Airline Partner by flying in 20,000 tulips for Tulipmania. This year? KLM will be bringing in more than double of that.... 50,000 to be exact!

So with so many tulip bulbs waiting to be planted before its opening date on 14 April, I volunteered Ale to take on some gardening work.

Not that she minded of course. In fact, I helped with some of the planting work for last year's edition and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So it was a no-brainer when the opportunity arose once again for us to be gardeners for a day. Although it probably helped too that we would be working in air-conditioned comfort.

Truth be told, it was actually rather simple stuff when the time came for us to get our hands dirty. The tulip bulbs came in their own small pots and all we had to do was to arrange them neatly in rows according to their colour in planter boxes. We then finished up by piling on the compost to cover the small pots.

Nothing too taxing, as Ale will demonstrate.

I have to admit, our final work didn't look too shabby at all.

In fact, both Ale and I were extremely proud of our contribution!

Actually, the hard work was on the main Flower Field itself where the individual tulip bulbs had to be planted into the soil by a group of volunteers from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

So yes, the real heroes were the people working in the background of the photo while the kids were erm... just looking cute by posing with the gardening tools.

And speaking of cute, something adorable soon hopped into our view which made the kids ditch their tools in excitement.

MIFFY!!!

Hailing from The Netherlands, Miffy (or ‘Nijntje’ – the shortened form of‘Konijntje’, meaning ‘rabbit’ – in Dutch) has specially flown in for Tulipmania and will no doubt be bringing joy to everyone.

Did you know that Miffy is in fact older than Hello Kitty? She was born in 1955, while the cat with no mouth was only conjured up in 1974. But old or young, age clearly was not a factor when the white rabbit finally made her way to the Flower Field as all kids and adults alike began to swarm around her.

Including Ale, who was obviously ecstatic beyond words.

Ale, with the pretty girls from SengkangBabies and Life in the Wee Hours

Tulipmania will run from 14 April 2014 until 4 May 2014. But do note that Miffy will not be making an appearance every day. If you do want to snap a photo with Miffy, these are the dates to take note of:

20 April 2014 (Sunday) - Easter Egg Hunt with Miffy
Egg Hunt Sessions:
11am - 12pm (Registration opens 10:30-10:45)
1pm - 2pm (Registration opens 12:30-12:45)
3pm - 4pm (Registration opens 2:30-2:45)
Eligibility: Children 3-12 Years Old (3-6 years old require one parent supervision)
*Registration will be done in Flower Dome.

26 April 2014 (Saturday) - Tulip Cheer
Miffy will be making an appearance at the following timings: 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM

And here is a final tip - if you want to catch the full bloom of the tulips at their finest, do head down early to see them. Tulips typically stay in bloom for 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the climate and weather. But in our climate, I reckon 7-10 days will be an achievement in itself.

The staff at Gardens by the Bay said that the tulips will most probably start to bloom between next Monday and Wednesday so the best time to view them will be over the Good Friday long weekend!

For sure, the wifey will never want to miss this year's edition of Tulipmania so you can be sure that our family will be back down at the Flower Dome to catch all the tulips in their blooming glory!

UPDATE: The tulips have partially bloomed as of 16 April 2014!

Useful Details

Tulipmania
Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay
14 Apr - 4 May 2014
9am - 9pm
Admission charges apply. Click HERE for rates.

*Special Senior Citizens Discount for Tulipmaina: 50% discount off Senior Citizen Local Resident ticket to the Flower Dome only (UP. $8/Senior Citizen)

Visitors to the Flower Dome will receive a Miffy postcard as a souvenir. Collect yours as you enter the Flower Dome, while stocks last.

For more details, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/whats-on/calendar-of-event/tulipmania-floral-display-details.html


Related Activities

Tulipmania Garden Trail
Learn more about the world of bulbs in this very special Garden Trail, Tulipmania, and stand a chance to walk away with a souvenir, while stocks last! This Garden Trail is part of the Tulipmania floral display. Trail map is free and available (while stocks last) with every conservatories ticket purchased.

KLM brings Miffy to Singapore Campaign
Want to win exclusive KLM Miffy merchandise and Tulipmania tickets? Keep your eyes peeled at KLM Singapore's Facebook page where you can answer questions about Miffy’s adventures in Singapore and stand to win fantastic prizes!