Rotarians plant 10,000 bulbs (+video)

A special working bee at the weekend saw the first sizeable chunk of Rotorua Tulip Festival's 100,000 bulbs planted.

Rotorua's Hospital Hill was the scene where Rotarians were out in force on Saturday planting 10,000 tulip bulbs.

Rotorua's five Rotary clubs joined forces for the special planting project aligned with optimal tulip planting time.

Rotorua West Rotary Club president David Dowthwaite organised for the Rotary clubs to come together for the project.

He said about 60 people turned up on the day and the planting went off without a hitch.

"It was a good joint effort and you can be assured that come the first week of October we will be back at the garden to make sure all the tulips are in the right place."

Rotorua Lakes Council's decision to plant 100,000 bulbs this year will elevate the annual tulip festival to new heights. That is more than double the amount planted in previous festivals.

Rotorua Lakes Council inner city portfolio leader and councillor Karen Hunt said the working bee was fantastic.

"There was an amazing turnout from the Rotary clubs and it was a really well organised, fun event."

She said Rotorua had the perfect climate for tulips and the gardens should all look gorgeous when it comes time for them to flower.

"The tulip festival was a festival waiting to happen and we are expecting this year to be even better than the last."

This week another 500 bulbs will be planted at Kea St Specialist School and 500 at St Chad's Disability Centre.

Other planting in council beds started last week to ensure all bulbs are planted in time for blooming during the festival.

The rest are being planted around the new Children's Art House in the Government Gardens and elsewhere throughout the Government Gardens and the inner-city road reserves.

The tulips feature a mass of different colours and will be in full glory at the start of October.