Shanghai Botanical Gardens will feature beds of tulips for next spring's Shanghai International Flower Show. (Photo : Google Commons)
Shanghai Botanical Gardens in Xuhui District is opening its gates to locals who would like to participate in tulip planting events this weekend and next, according to Shanghai Daily.
All visitors who will arrive at the garden from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. will be handed a free seed ball, which they can plant in designated beds. Garden staff have prepared 2,000 seed balls for tulip planting activities for the two weekends.
The tulips, which are expected to be in full bloom in the spring of 2016, will be part of the garden's highlights for the Shanghai International Flower Show, according to garden staff Huang Meilin.
Tulip planters in Shanghai Botanical Gardens will not only have the chance to enjoy the planting activities, they will also be educated about tulips, which are not commonly known in Shanghai.
Additionally, they will be treated to various talks that will help them learn about composting and recycling environmental waste, Huang said.
The talks will be conducted simultaneously with the tulip planting activities. These are provided at no extra cost to the garden's regular admission cost.
"All of the natural waste produced at the garden, such as fallen leaves and grass cuttings, goes to make the compost we use to feed young plants and seedlings," he said, adding that the staff are "very keen to encourage" people to practice composting at their homes.
Last spring, the Shanghai International Flower Show featured outdoor gardens, new plant cultivars, indoor ornamental plants and amazing horticultural displays. Running from March 27 to May 31, the flower show included a horticulture academic summit to encourage collaboration among participating horticulturists.
