Wicked Tulips is open for the season. Here's what to know if you're planning to go
Wicked Tulips, one of Rhode Island's favorite flower farms, is open earlier than ever this year thanks to a trick of covering some of the early blooming varieties in fabric to force the blooms sooner.
This means fields of springtime colors are now open to the public. Take a look.
Pretty, right?
Where to pick
The first site to open is their Exeter location, which is 5 acres with more than 100 varieties of tulips to literally pick from. Wicked Tulips did a soft opening on Wednesday, April 5 and had their grand opening on Friday, April 7.
The second location to open will be the Preston, Connecticut fields, where they planted tulips that bloom mid- to late-season. This location may overlap with the tail end of the picking at the Exeter location. This site has over 700,000 tulips.
Guide to pick-your-own flowers in RI: Tulips, lavender, dahlias, sunflowers and more
The third location to open up, likely at the very end of April, will be the original field in Johnston, packed with over 100 varieties of late-blooming tulips.
Tips for getting the most out of your trip
When it comes to getting dressed, it's a matter of balancing what you want to wear in photos versus the logistics of what you should wear in a field that is open to the elements.
The grass makes the fields easy to walk in, even on a damp day, as long as you are wearing a practical walking shoe. You'll also want to watch the weather to decide what sort of jacket you want to bring.
And then when it comes to photos, don't be shy. Everyone is taking them. It's too beautiful not to. If you want a photo of you and your group, the staff at the farm — who wear bright orange shirts so they are easy to spot in a sea of color — are happy to help you out. You could also bring a tripod, but no props and no drones.
The next tip is about how to pick. With your ticket, you get to make a bouquet of 10 flowers to bring home.
As the signs will tell you, you want to pick the flowers by grabbing as low to the ground as you can and pulling. If you take the bulb with you, that is a good thing! It'll give you nice long healthy stems. You'll just clip it off the bulb in their self-wrap tent before you go.
When you're looking for a flower if you want the longest vase life pick one that isn't fully opened yet with a little bit of green on it. If it's in full bloom, it just won't last as long. If it's too green, it needs more time in the sun to grow and won't open properly in the vase.
What to know about tickets
Tickets must be purchased online before arrival as they aren't sold at the site.
For 2023, they are priced at:
Weekday Premium morning, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., ticket $20
Weekday After 2 p.m. Discount Ticket $17
Weekend tickets are $23
Tickets for kids 5 to 17 are $5. Do not include tulips
Children 4 and under are free to enter.
The adult tickets include 10 flowers. Additional flowers can be purchased for $1 a stem.
When you bring your flowers home
Once you finish picking your bouquet, you'll have a chance to wrap them up yourself in brown paper or have someone there clean them up for you for a nominal fee.
They don't supply water for the ride home, so you may want to bring some yourself if you have a long trip.
At home, in the brown paper, put the tulips in ice water for at least an hour. Then change out the water, cut the bottom inch or so off, arrange them in your vase of choice and enjoy.
They also sell bulbs if you want to try growing your own next year.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Wicked Tulips Flower Farm 2023: How to get the most out of your trip
