Skagit tulip a budding rival to Holland's

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Multicolored ribbons of tulips unfurling as far as the eye can see, acres of blue irises, yellow daffodils and purple lilies all blossoming in the spring sunshine — these are sights a traveler might expect to find amid the fabulous flower fields of Holland. But the state of Washington?

Backed by the snowcapped Cascade Mountains, the wide Skagit (pronounced "SKA-jit") Valley opens on the warm waters of Puget Sound, an hour's drive north of Seattle on I-5, halfway to Vancouver. The fields along the Skagit River's broad alluvial valley, boasting topsoil 4 feet deep, have been farmed for a century and a half, and flowers have been grown there for nearly 100 years.

But the floral extravaganza began only in the 1950s, when Dutch immigrants arrived seeking a mild climate and naturally fertile soil to work their floral magic. Perhaps the pan-flat expanse also reminded them of their low-lying homeland, albeit with stately Mount Baker in the distance.

At any rate, it was an idea that worked out very well. According to local estimates, there are now more acres of tulips under cultivation in the Skagit Valley than in the whole of Holland.

Skagit growers now supply bulbs to gardens around the world, an active commerce year-round. Normally, the flower fields are not open to the public, but for a month the normally staid Skagit Valley goes just a little bit crazy.

The 22nd annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival began April 1 and runs through the month. If your timing is right, you will be able not only to tiptoe through the tulips but also to tour more than 1,500 blooming acres by car, bike, horse-drawn carriage and even hot-air balloon. You've probably never seen such broad swaths of vivid color.

If you find a few favorites you'd like to grow in your own garden, you can have bulbs shipped home.

As I found out during a too-brief visit there last April, after you have feasted your eyes on the torrent of color, there's a full slate of other activities to occupy your attention.

In the nearby towns of Mount Vernon, where the Tulip Museum is located and the action is centered, in Anacortes, Burlington, Conway and La Conner, dozens of arts and crafts events are scheduled every day, from quilt festivals and sculpture walks to art shows and flea markets.