Thanksgiving Point's gardens crew is planting thousands of Dutch tulip bulbs across Ashton Gardens in Lehi, laying the groundwork for the 2027 Tulip Festival.

The bulbs, sourced directly from Holland, go into the ground each October, Cloe Bentz wrote in a Thanksgiving Point blog post published Oct. 6. They need a full winter underground before warming spring temperatures trigger growth and blooming.

The annual festival at Ashton Gardens, 3900 N. Garden Drive, features more than 1 million flowers. About 400,000 of those are tulips. The rest include hyacinths, daffodils and poppies spread across 50 acres. Thanksgiving Point calls the event one of the largest spring flower festivals in the country and an eleven-year Best of State award winner.

No dates for the 2027 festival have been announced. The 2026 edition ran April 8 through May 16.

Bulbs for your own yard

The window to plant is now. As of the Oct. 6 blog post, tulip bulbs were available for purchase at Thanksgiving Point gift shops while supplies last. The gardens team shared these planting tips:

• Depth and direction: Plant bulbs 6 to 8 inches deep with the pointed end facing up.
• Location: Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Avoid areas where water collects, since standing moisture can rot bulbs.
• Spacing: Leave a few inches between each bulb. Grouping several together produces a fuller burst of color in spring.
• Watering: Give the area a thorough watering after planting to settle the soil around the bulbs.

Once planted, the bulbs stay underground through winter and emerge when temperatures rise in spring. Thanksgiving Point has not announced when 2027 festival tickets will go on sale.

Upcoming community dates

• 2027 Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival: Dates to be announced. The 2026 festival ran April 8 through May 16 at Ashton Gardens, 3900 N. Garden Drive, Lehi.