NANCY, Ky. – The Netherlands, the undisputed tulip capital of the world, dominates tulip production with its specialized varieties and premium quality. The country is the global symbol of spring and horticultural excellence.

While Kentucky may be best known for its bourbon production, horse racing and bluegrass music, several producers in the state are out to bring the tulip to the forefront of attention in the Bluegrass State. And they’re doing this by holding their own tulip festival.

Wesley and Alicia Logsdon, of Bear Wallow Farm in Nancy, are always adding new attractions to their farm and this spring they decided to try their hands at tulip farming for the first time. They’ve discovered that success can come in a variety of ways and colors.

“As we’ve grown our Bear Wallow Farm market area over the years, we’ve expanded, starting building new attractions, and knew a spot on our property which would have something special in it one day,” Wesley said. “We just didn’t know what.”

The couple planted two and a half acres of tulips in that spot and for them, it was a perfect tulip paradise.

“We have a huge fall season on the farm but wanted to share something for the warming of spring to help get families back outside and enjoying the weather after a long winter,” Wesley said. “So, as farmers, we just felt like the springtime was another good season to bring people out to the farm.”

The couple had concerns tackling this spring venture. Weather and good crop conditions were two of them. Third, they wondered how interested the public would be in such a crop.

“We honestly didn’t know what to expect,” Alicia said. “I think everybody wanted to be the first to get the tulips.”

The Logsdons raise corn, wheat, soybeans, small grains for seed and have a cow-calf, beef cattle operation as well. They also grow pumpkins for their fall market season. Tulips seemed like a natural fit.

“As a farmer and as someone who likes to create, build, and do and try new things, I think that’s the most fulfilling part about being in the agritourism business,” Wesley said. “Seeing them happy, seeing the kids play and the smiles on people’s faces. That makes the labor and all the struggle worth it.”

The Logdons are not saying the tulip venture was a piece of cake.

“It was more stressful for me because we’ve never grown tulips,” Alicia said. “When you look out at a field and know how much time and money that you’ve spent and you’re just hoping and praying that something comes out of the ground – until I saw that first sprout, I was on pins and needles.”

Added Wesley, “We’ve been pleased with the crowds and pleased with everybody’s response. They seemed to have liked it, and we liked seeing people enjoy it.”

Their crop included 200,000 tulips grown from bulbs produced in Holland.

And the Logsdons are not alone. Kentucky hosts several vibrant tulip festivals in the spring, including Trunnell’s Farm (Utica), Lavender in Bloom (Georgetown) and Front Yard Farm (Glendale).

For Trunnell’s Farms it was its first-ever Tulip Festival. It featured 100,000 tulips planted in creative designs, including a butterfly shape. The farm offered pick-your-own blooms.

Trunnell’s Farm owner Kevin Trunnell said the idea for a tulip festival has been years in the making.

“Every spring, they’re just something to look forward to,” he said. “We were trying to think of something we could do in the spring, kind of like when we started sunflowers in 2018.”

After seeing images of tulip fields in Holland, Trunnell began researching whether the flowers could thrive in Kentucky. His research led to working with a grower in Holland to supply the bulbs, and eventually to a full-scale plan.

“It’s actually been three years in the making,” Trunnell said. “We almost pulled the trigger earlier, but we felt like we weren’t quite ready to move forward until this year.”

At the U-pick Lavender in Bloom, the April fields are full of 11 varieties of eye-catching lavender, but tulips shared the center stage at this farm. This U-pick farm opened in 2018 and is the first commercial lavender farm in Kentucky.

Front Yard Farms typically hosts multiple U-pick sessions and many family friendly events during peak bloom. So popular is this tulip hot spot that visitors are encouraged to reserve spots online for a guaranteed experience. The farm also included Easter egg hunts.

 Still more farms in Kentucky that specialize in tulips include Ruby Branch Farm (Franklin), Blackberry Ridge Flower Farm (Ryland Heights), Bi-Water Farm and Greenhouse (Georgetown), Bountiful Blooms Farm (Bloomfield), River Bend Blooms (Scottsville), Smithville Old Mill Farm (Mt. Washington), Phoenix Hill Flower Farm (Louisville), Yew Dell Botanical Gardens (Crestwood), Hidden Lake Gardens (Cub Run), Middle Springs Farm (Paris) and Brian Rose Garden (Bowling Green).

Tulips were introduced to the Netherlands in the 16th century, and by the 17th century the Dutch had perfected cultivation techniques. Today, the Netherlands remains the largest exporter of tulips.