Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada

The  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has reported that the end is near —

—for the annual crop of tulips in this small but historic province:

“For full bloom and perfect photos, visit around May 25th or later. Tulip season typically lasts about 21 days and is projected to end by June 10th. Bloom percentages are 25-40% from May 18-24, 50-80% from May 25-31, and full bloom from June 1-10, though the season’s end is nearing.

That’s the word from: Vanco Farms, of Mt. Albion ,several miles east of the capital, Charlottetown:

• The blooming season varies from year to year, depending on Mother Nature! This has become quite the attraction for people to visit – although our fields are strictly for bulb production.
• The petals are soon removed [aka lopped off] from the tulip plants so all of the plant’s energy can go into the tulip bulb, which is growing and multiplying under the soil surface.
• The tulip plant continues to grow for about 6 weeks after the flower is removed and then the tulip bulb is removed from the soil.

• Often when a small tulip bulb is planted, it will grow into a larger tulip bulb with some additional small bulbs off to the side of it.
• The harvested bulbs are then dried and separated into different sizes. The smaller bulbs are saved to plant in the tulip field for the upcoming fall.
• The largest bulbs are then used in the greenhouse for a process called tulip forcing, and we specifically grade the Size 11 bulbs for our retail & wholesale customers across Canada!

This vivid riot of color is but a brief interlude in a year-round process of tulip cultivation:

• “The larger tulip bulbs from that years field crop are then planted in small trays, with dirt and sand from PEI. The tulip bulbs are then stored in large coolers set to wintry temperatures and the tulips are ‘tricked’ into thinking it is winter; the forcing process begins!

• The tulips are held in these coolers until they are gradually brought out into the greenhouse every couple of weeks throughout the season, and tricked into thinking it is spring.
• This process called forcing, effectively shortens the summer, fall and winter months that tulip bulbs need to bloom and gives us colorful tulips in cold winter months that otherwise, would not naturally grow outdoors.

• 

  Vanco’s dedicated team closely monitors the entire growing process; precise temperatures and efficient systems allow us to grow, pick and ship a premium product, with impeccable vase life. We strive to ensure quality is maintained from our farm, to your home!

• From January to May, Vanco grows and distributes millions of premium, fresh cut tulips throughout Atlantic Canada, Quebec and the Eastern United States.”

Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), is one of the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Curving from North Cape to East Point, “the Island,” as Prince Edward Islanders refer to the province, is about 140 miles (225 km) long, ranging from 2 to 40 miles (3 to 65 km) in width. It lies between 46° and 47° N latitude and 62° and 64° W longitude. To the south and west, the Northumberland Strait separates the island from the mainland provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Its location, along with the island’s fertile red soil, has given Prince Edward Island two nicknames: the “Garden of the Gulf” (referring to the Gulf of St. Lawrence) and the “Million-Acre Farm.” It is also sometimes referred to as “Spud Island” because of its significant potato production.

The aboriginal Mi’kmaq (Micmac) people called the island Abegweit—popularly translated “Cradled on the Waves”—which aptly describes the slender crescent of land nested in the surrounding waters.

As part of Acadia during the French regime (1720–58), it was called Île Saint-Jean, but when the British took over they first Anglicized the name to St. John’sIsland, then attempted to call it New Ireland, and finally, in 1799, named it for Edward Augustus, the duke of Kent and Strathern, commander of the British forces in North America and one of the sons of King George III of Great Britain. The island became a separate colony in 1769 and has remained what some scholars characterize as a “subnational island jurisdiction” ever since. In 1873 Prince Edward Island became the seventh province of Canada.

Today, besides tulips, VANCO grows organic potatoes, also an exacting process . . . But that’s another story.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled approaching catastrophes . . . .