Interview with Vermont Tulip Farmer Emily Von Trapp

There’s nothing we love more than the breathtaking blooms sourced from local flower growers! Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting a tulip floral workshop featuring tulips from Vermont flower farm Von Trapp Flowers.

Much like my passion for flowers, passed down to me by my mother, Emily’s flower growing journey is an heirloom in itself. In this blog, Emily graciously shares her years of flower growing knowledge with us and offers some invaluable insights into growing tulips in New England.

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How did your journey as a flower grower begin?

I am the third generation to cultivate the land where I sustainably grow over 200,000 specialty tulips, in addition to many varieties of annual and perennial cut flowers in Waitsfield, Vermont. The daughter of a horticulturalist and self-taught master gardener, I grew up surrounded by my parents’ gorgeous gardens and blooms at the von Trapp Greenhouse in Waitsfield. As a child, I helped my parents harvest field-grown cut flowers, and at the age of twelve I began making bouquets and selling them at the local farmers market, and soon after to the local grocery market. By the age of 17, I was selling my bouquets to a couple of different markets, and now, almost twenty years later, my flowers can be found in 15 grocery markets, co-ops and small boutique stores throughout central Vermont.

Could you share some insights into the process of sustainably growing tulips on such a large scale?

In order to grow 200,000 tulips here in Vermont during the winter months, we use a number of cool rooting spaces, and greenhouses that allow us to grow our tulips in succession, allowing for a constant flush of blooms from the 1st of January until the end of May. I source quality bulbs from the Netherlands, and grow more than 100 varieties each season. Tulips are what we refer to as cool flowers, which means they prefer cool growing conditions for optimal growth. This is why they do so well as cut flowers during the cooler winter months.

If you had to choose, what is your favorite tulip variety?

It is so hard to choose just one favorite tulip variety, but I am partial to Double Peony Style Tulips, and love any tulip that comes in peach, apricot and salmon tones. I also love some of the more unusual tulip forms, like those of Exotic Emperor which is in the Fosteriana family.

How do you maintain the health of your tulip bulbs year after year, and do you have any tips for home gardeners looking to grow tulips?  

When forcing* tulips for cut flower production we treat the tulip bulbs as annuals. All the energy from the bulb is used to create the one stem and flower that we harvest, leaving nothing for the bulb to regenerate from. Once the flowers are harvested, what is remaining of the bulb is composted. The following fall we receive a fresh batch of bulbs from the Netherlands for the upcoming winter/spring crop.

* To force a tulip means to pot the tulip bulb, replicate winter conditions and bring it into bloom earlier than its normal spring bloom time.

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Tips for home gardeners looking to grow tulips…

1. When planting bulbs, if you plant a couple of inches deeper than the planting instructions from the bulb company, it will help to keep the bulbs cooler, which will slow down bulb division.

2. If you are in a warmer climate, plant your tulips in an area that gets the cooler morning sun, but is shaded in the afternoon.

3. Always water your tulip bulbs deeply after planting. Then water them again 10 days to two weeks later. In the spring when your tulips start to emerge, be sure they are getting plenty of water. If it is an unseasonably dry spring, it is important to water your tulips so they can develop the best flowers and stem length. Short stems and small flowers is always indicative of not enough water somewhere in the growing process.

4. Be mindful of critters that will see your bulbs as a food source. Deer, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, moles, voles and mice all enjoy feeding on tulip bulbs.

5. If harvesting your tulips to be enjoyed in the vase, make sure to harvest them when they are still budded but kissing with color – this will give you the best vase life.

The Tulip Workshop

Emily teaches The Tulip Workshop with her business partner Linda D'Arco where they teach hundreds of flower farmers around the world all about tulip forcing and season extension. You can learn more about that here: https://www.thetulipworkshop.com/about

I hope you learned some new skills for growing tulips in your own backyard! As we embrace the warmer weather ahead, let's take the opportunity to nurture our gardens and enjoy the beauty of nature unfolding around us.

A bientôt,
Sandra