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CINCINNATI — Spring is making its way across the state with flowers blooming as the season changes.
In Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden each year looks forward to the blooms of 110,000 tulips and more than a million daffodils, hyacinths and other spring bulbs.
“Our horticulture team is world class,” said Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard in a news release. “And, in our 150th anniversary year, it’s important to recognize that the gardens have been an important part of this park-like campus since the very beginning. In fact, a key influencer to our original design was world-renowned landscape architect Adolph Strauch. He envisioned an experimental garden that would inspire, educate, and feed the imagination.”
The tulip display changes each year as new varieties are added. This year, the zoo planted some tulips to mark the anniversary, and the flowers delivered on the design.
“At the end of tulip season, the horticulture team and volunteers dig up all the bulbs to make room for the annuals that will be planted next,” said Maynard. “The bulbs are sold and sent home with employees, spreading the beauty to yards, including mine, all over the tri-state area.”
Zoo officials said peak bloom for the flowers will be over the next two weeks.
The zoo also holds a free concert series, Tunes & Blooms, which offers family-friendly entertainment each Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. throughout April. Last week's concert was canceled because of the weather.
Visitors can also bid on hand-painted rain barrels on display at the zoo's Swan Lake bridge. An online barrel auction opened at the start of the month and runs through April 25, with proceeds going toward the zoo and Save Local Waters conservation initiatives.
Cincinnati Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but members have early entry and can enter the zoo at 9 a.m. Memberships can be purchased through April 30.
