VIDEO: Blooming tulip patch draws thousands of Saskatoon visitors

Clinton Ekdahl calls the gardens outside his home the “unofficial tulip festival of Saskatoon.”

Flowering plants, pollinators, and honey bees all bring joy to Ekdahl and his partner Michael. Their tulip patch, which started as a passion project four years ago, now draws thousands of Saskatoon residents every year.

“(There’s) something special about getting your hands in the dirt and being part of nature,” Ekdahl said.

Thousands of flowering plants can be seen in Clinton Ekdahl’s garden on University Drive. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

The front and side garden outside of Ekdahl’s home on University Drive – the heritage property known as the Mann House – is home to more than 27,000 flowering plants.

“At one point we had somewhere in the range of 160 different varieties of tulips and daffodils,” he said, adding the garden is home to other plants like irises, balloon flowers and daylilies.

He said that the cooler May weather has allowed many of the flowers to bloom for almost an entire month.

Ekdahl said the tulip patch draws more than 1,200 visitors each week, including wedding parties, retirement home buses, and gardeners stopping by to share their stories.

He said the garden is curated to show off different plants throughout the season.

The tulip patch began four years ago as a passion project. (Alex Brown/650 CKOM)

“As one type of plant dies down, other types of plants come up in its place,” Ekdahl said. “We recommend you come often throughout the season, because every week it’s going to be different.”