Official Gardener of Canada's Capital

Many people do not realize that a considerable amount of time and energy is required to create the tulip displays in the NCC’s parks. From design to flowering, the process takes 17 months.

There is nothing haphazard about the magnificent spectacle of tulips blooming in Canada’s Capital. Well before the bulbs are planted in fall, the NCC’s landscape architects begin designing the flower beds. Using more than 50 varieties of tulips (pdf – 596 Kb) of various colours, sizes and flowering periods, they transform the displays into a visible symbol of the friendship that unites Canada and the Netherlands.

The landscape architects’ creativity results in an impressive range of flower displays. Some stand out for their simplicity and boldness by using a single variety. Others contain flowers of various sizes and colours that convey an impression of movement and dramatic intensity. All contribute to a spectacular springtime experience.

In the spring, across the region, close to a million tulips bring the NCC’s flower beds to life on Parliament Hill, along Confederation Boulevard and throughout Canada’s Capital. The highest concentration of tulips in the region — some 300,000 — can be found in Commissioners Park, on the banks of Dows Lake in Ottawa.