Lakeland Orchard & Cidery in Scott Township is open Thursdays through Sundays.
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — The results are in; April showers are bringing May flowers. Tulip festivals are underway across Northeast and Central Pennsylvania.
Jeff Roba is president at Lakeland Orchard & Cidery. Their tulip farm in Lackawanna County is open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each week of the festival.
“[Tulips are] what makes this area so special,” Roba said.
He says it was almost ‘doom and bloom’ at his tulip farm in Scott Township. The hard freeze last week dropped temperatures at his farm to 22 degrees.
“It’s nerve-racking, right? Tulips are very hearty, and they came through the freeze really well compared to other crops in other areas across the state,” Roba said.
Most of his tulips were not in full bloom at the time. A week later, he estimates 75% of the 800,000 tulips are now in full bloom. Roba says their apple orchard made out well from the hard freeze, too.
Leatha Kieser drove from Montoursville in Lycoming County. She and others spent a cloudy and cool afternoon picking flowers and taking pictures. Leatha came because she missed out last year.
“So I said, ‘We will find tulips this year.’. When I saw the advertisement, I thought we have to come. It took two hours, but we are here, and we are going to enjoy this gloomy, doomy day,” Kieser said.
Claudette came from Luzerne County. She says her uncle started her love for tulips.
“My uncle used to plant tulips. Then we had a tornado that tore up basically the trees, and there was one tulip that survived and always came back,” Claudette said.
This may not be the weather we humans like, but the tulips really enjoy this weather. Jeff Roba tells Newswatch 16 that they enjoy cloudy, cool days. And that extends the bloom. He is expecting the bloom to last another couple of weekends. This is their second year planting tulips.
“When it’s cold and rainy, the tulip bud actually closes up. Then, as the sun comes out later this afternoon, and it warms up, the flower keeps opening up more and more. So, they almost protect themselves from the not-so-great weather. The further you get along in the bloom, the less they will close up to protect themselves,” Roba said.
It rained 20 out of 30 days in the WNEP backyard in April. Still, less than 4 inches fell the whole month! Jeff says the lack of downpours has also been an advantage for the blooms. He expects them to be open through Mother’s Day weekend and perhaps another weekend after.