The event will feature more than 100,000 colorful tulips
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is once again bursting with color this spring as 100,000 tulips are in full bloom as part of Zoo Blooms. Zoo Blooms is spread throughout the Zoo’s grounds, and it runs through Tuesday, Apr. 30.
“Early on, we wanted to do something that would celebrate the blooms of spring,” says Steve Foltz, Director of Horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. “So, we’ve been planting a lot of spring flowering plants for years now. Of course, most of that is highlighted with our 100,000-plus tulips that we plant.”
Zoo Blooms draws visitors from across the globe annually for this vibrant celebration of color that features yellow, orange, pink, red and purple tulips. The Zoo also displays white and yellow daffodils, hyacinths, shrubs and flowering trees.
“One of the things we try to do is plant a lot of diversity,” Foltz says. “Whether it’s bulbs, it’s not just about the tulips. We have plenty of daffodils and hyacinths, alliums and minor bulbs…As the season progresses, the series of bulbs progress along with it. Then, alliums will probably be the latest of the bulbs to bloom. Then, there’s also the spring flowering perennials like the Lenten-rose that are in bloom right now.
“The Zoo’s a great place to come, to walk through, and look at what you can put in your yard that would help you add to your seasonality of bloom. Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, there’s always something that you can take home from the Zoo to put in your garden,” he adds.
The Zoo’s Tunes & Blooms free concert series is also underway and will continue every Thursday in April from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Thursdays during Tunes & Blooms admission to the Zoo is free after 5 p.m. and music starts at 6 p.m. Parking is $10.
On Thursday, Apr. 11 Tunes & Blooms will welcome My Brother’s Keeper in Vine Street Village and Elementree in The Grove. Other Tunes & Blooms dates are Apr. 18, Apr. 25 and May 2.
As one of only two accredited botanical gardens in Ohio, the award-winning Cincinnati Zoo offers one of the largest tulips displays in the Midwest. The Cincinnati Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is open year-round. Zoo members receive early entry access and may enter the Zoo at 9 a.m.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to the Zoo’s website. There is no additional charge for Zoo Blooms; it is included with the price of admission to the Zoo. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is located at 3400 Vine Street in Cincinnati.
