Tulip Open Day 2022

Not wanting to speak too soon, there is a sense that in 2022 many things are trying to return to normal. And so is Brighter Blooms, we would argue. We started the year seeing all the friendly faces we are used to (and more!) throughout January and February at all the Potato Days, and we returned to having a café with hot drinks and home made cakes and the now traditional raffle. Our lovely helpers on the day – Anne-Marie, Abbie, Alina, Min, Iulia and Ellie raised £350.00 which as always, was split between Rosemere and Motivation Romania. Mr and Mrs Clarkson, the winners of the allotment hamper and the fruit tree we raffled promised to share their winnings with their allotment friends, and we’ll make sure we check that did indeed happen when we see them next year.

The weather in between the Potato Day and the Tulip Open Weekend gave us plenty reasons to worry, as our tulips really did not look like they were willing to put any sort of display on after the cold and dry spring. Some serious words were had with the tulips and some level of compliance was agreed, and we hope that the approximately 500 visitors throughout the weekend felt their trip had been worthwhile.

We are often told by visitors that they appreciate the cakes as much as they appreciate the tulips. Eileen, Steve, Norma and Margaret were the Rosemere dream team who manned the café, and Janet S helped them out also. With the help of the honey and beeswax candles kindly donated by Elaine and Steve (our beekeepers-in-residence), Sue and Janet G who manned the raffle, and of course, the spectacular cakes provided by Maria, Ellie, Matthew and Susan, we raised a record breaking £1,050 which we split equally between Rosemere and Motivation Romania yet again. And of course, we do love hearing the usual ‘….but I never win anything!’… – and this time it was Janet B who was drawn as the winner of the raffle by one of our customers from the café and said precisely that!

Smiles all around from helpers, volunteers, customers, is how we like our events to conclude, and this was the case again this year. We would like to say that we will now slow down and put our feet up until the next event, but anyone who knows us and knows about our spring and summer shows schedule will have a good idea of just how far from our reality the concept of putting our feet up is.

We will leave you with a final thought though: if you are reading this blog this year, the Floriade Expo 2022, in Almere, the Netherlands (open until 9^th October 2022) is a once every 10 years exhibition, and this year’s theme is Growing Green Cities – very much worth a visit if you can.