Community

Tulips on Full Display at Oglebay Park After Early Bloom

Despite unseasonably cool temperatures Monday, visitors still made it a priority to take in the annual breathtaking displays of colorful tulips at Oglebay Park's Bissonnette Gardens.

As visitors strolled along the meandering red brick path, located between the park's main offices and the rear of the Oglebay Mansion Museum, several said they make it a priority to visit the annual showcase of colorful flowers.

Typically, from mid-April through early May, park officials encourage visitors to admire the breathtaking beauty and vibrant colors of tulips, hyacinths, pansies, and daffodils. According to the park's website, The Bissonnette Gardens include more than 30 flower beds, dozens of colorful hanging baskets, and multiple fountains.

Wheeling resident Kelly Lovell said the park's tulip displays were "absolutely gorgeous," as she pulled her son Everett along the winding brick path in a little red wagon.

"We love Oglebay anytime of the year," Lovell said. "It's beautiful in the fall and it's gorgeous in the spring," Lovell commented. "A teacher at school told us that we had to come see the tulips today," she added.

Oglebay Park Horticulturist Chris Schenkel said park garden crews plant the tulip bulbs each fall and how warm or cold the weather is dictates when they actually bloom in the spring. He said the tulips bloomed slightly sooner than they traditionally bloom this year.

"This is a little bit early," he said. "We use primarily Darwin hybrid tulips. It's weather dictating. If we're having warmer weather then they're a little bit ahead. If it would have stayed cool ... we could have them as late as into the first week of May."

Schenkel said this year that color mixes seem to be popular with suppliers.

"So that's what we concentrated a lot on this year and we made up our own color mixes and I think it worked out pretty good," Schenkel commented. "I'm hoping people enjoy everything as much as the years we had solid colors."