Tulip Festival

Longbush Cottage Tulip Festival is a celebration of the majestic Tulip and the return of Spring. The festival runs over two days, the 25th and 26th of September, 10 am to 4 pm, or the gardens can be visited by prior appointment at other times by following the links on our website. Cash on the gate.

Over the past five years, thousands of Tulips have been planted throughout the garden; this year saw some 2,300 bulbs from 35 varieties planted. They have thrived in the Wairarapa conditions of wet winters and long dry summers, with many varieties having naturalized and returning year after year.

The 2021 Tulip Festival is an opportunity to stroll through the different garden rooms enjoying colour-themed displays planted in borders and an extensive collection of pots around the garden. Tulips are treated as border plants and used as part of perennial borders to extend the flowering season rather than as a standard bedding plant.

Luke, the garden creator, will be in the garden all weekend to answer any questions about the Tulips or about the garden. There will also be pots of Tulips available to buy, along with a selection of Cottage garden plants (cash sales only). Longbush Cottage is now is in its sixth season and will be open through to the end of March 2022 if you don’t get the opportunity to visit the Tulips. The gardens change throughout the summer season – there is always an array of colours and something new to see.