Meet Joe van der Vlugt. You may not know him by name, but if you were one of the thousands of visitors of the Chicago Flower and Garden Show last week, you likely saw the results of his work. Joe was the creative force behind the Off to the Races garden that featured a beautiful display of dozens of tulip varieties from Doornbosch Bros. His work focuses on how to force tulips into bloom for sale by florists and for off-season displays and shows.
The garden was designed to showcase a few dozen varieties of tulips, all of which are available from Doornbosch Bros. Each variety was arranged in a 2’x2′ square and labeled so visitors could easily note their favorites to purchase in the vendor area. The garden’s simple elegance was the most beautiful of the show. After talking with Joe van der Vlugt about the garden and the bulb industry, became the most educational as well.
