'Best in Canada': Colourful tulips bloom across Prince Edward Island

Walking around Prince Edward Island this time of year may remind you of Amsterdam as rows and rows of multicoloured tulips bloom.

The tulips planted on the island are bulb tulips, not intended for sale as flowers, but to grow the next generation of tulips.

"These are our babies, and we grow them and they grow big and then they also multiply in that process," said tulip farmer Bastiaan Arendse. "So this summer we bring the whole crop in into the warehouse. They get all processed, and cleaned, and separated, and then we set the big bulbs aside for the greenhouse and the small bulbs get planted back in the fall."

Arendse's farm plants 40 million bulbs a year, in fields around the island. Just one field holds 100 acres of tulips with 15 million bulbs expected to come out of the ground this year for next year's set of tulips in store.

According to Arendse, his farm might only be considered a medium size operation in Holland, but it’s the biggest player on Canada's East Coast.

While the farmer is modest about his tulips, one local florist isn’t.

"Best in Canada, best bar none," said florist Vikki Sweeney. "Plus there’s no stress on them when they’re delivered to us."

The beautiful fields full of flowers attract all kinds of visitors, but isn’t the best thing for a working farm.

Luckily there’s now a place to pick your own.

"For him, it’s been really difficult having people show up to his fields when they’re for bulb production," said U-pick operator Trisha Viaene. "So we thought it would be a great idea if we could actually offer something together that would allow people the experience inside the tulip field.”

The Tulip U-Pick in Belfast is only open for the short season, usually no more than four to six weeks, with next weekend being the last to be able to pick there.

Arendse’s fields won’t be around for much longer either. The bulbs are set to be harvested soon.