Naperville Park District collaborating with the Downtown Naperville Alliance and the City of Naperville to provide bulbs for free
For 2022, Naperville Park District is changing the way it distributes the tulip bulbs that are removed each spring. Instead of selling the bulbs for $3 per dozen, the District will join with the City of Naperville and the Downtown Naperville Alliance to make the leftover bulbs from the Riverwalk and other Park District locations available for free, along with bulbs from the City and other downtown locations.
Tulip bulbs will be available for free pickup beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 20 at 55 S. Main Street between Van Buren Ave. and Benton Ave. near the Main Street Promenade. The giveaway will continue until 10:00 a.m. while supplies last. Please bring your own bags, as bulbs will not be pre-bagged, but will be in a random assortment in bins. Each person is allowed a maximum of 10 bulbs.
“The Park District became interested in changing the way we distribute tulip bulbs for several reasons,” explained Andrea Coates, director of recreation and facilities. “Since 2013, we have cut the number of bulbs that we plant by more than half, while increasing the number of perennials, which require less maintenance and provide better environmental stewardship. With fewer bulbs to sell, the traditional tulip bulb sale is no longer able to meet the demand from the community nor to recoup the cost of staff time to manage it. We are pleased to be able to partner with others to give away the bulbs this year so that residents can replant them to beautify their yards.”
