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New Immersion Garden coming to Tulip Time 2022

The Tulip Immersion Garden will elevate the tulips to new heights by raising them to eye level in this first-of-it's-kind-in-the-US attraction.

HOLLAND, Michigan — t's snowy out there now but before we know it the tulips will be breaking through the soil this spring. And this year something brand new is coming to Tulip Time.

It's called an Immersion Garden and it was designed by Ibo Gulsen of the Netherlands. This collaboration with Tulip Time is his first-ever US creation.

13 ON YOUR SIDE's Meredith TerHaar sat down with Gulsen in December when he was here to meet with the team to bring this dream one step closer to reality.

Tulip Time in Holland means millions of vibrant tulips ablaze along the streets and side walks. They are beautiful to behold, but difficult to photograph...if you want a selfie.

Credit: Provided

 "The way we traditionally plant flowers in the landscape is not actually conducive to taking photos," explained Gulsen. "People start lying on the ground and damaging the flowers to get the shot."

Gulsen's immersion garden will elevate the tulip time experience to new heights...literally.

"I thought why not raise the flowers on an installation so they are more eye level, then people can interact with them. Then if you take the picture it's like you are in a flower field. It's immersive, flowers are all around you."

The garden will also share the flower's history. Did you know it was the Turkish who first cultivated the tulip? It was the Dutch who figured out how to mass produce it.

 "Via diplomatic exchanges it arrived in 1593 in the Netherlands where it was planted at a botanical garden at Leiden University and the Dutch basically took it from there," explained Gulsen.

That's why the immersion garden will have 3 parts: a turban to represent it's Turkish heritage, a replica of the garden at Leiden University and the city of Holland's logo.

 "For me it is really a great pleasure and also an honor to do my first show in the US in Holland because this is the world's longest tulip festival, it's been happening more than 90 years. There is no other tulip festival that has such a rich history and it's so driven by the community. It's really unique."

Collaborating with European visionaries is something Tulip Time director Gwen Auwerda says she has wanted to do for years. She says it's so exciting to see this come to fruition. 

The immersion gardens will be at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds where there is ample space for an attraction of this size and plenty of parking.

There will be a cost associated with the timed tickets, visit the Tulip Time website for more information or to purchase tickets. 

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