Or are we just becoming more interested in the flowers in not just our own gardens, but those in public places often hundreds – even thousands – of kilometres away with their increasingly exquisite and imaginative creations on annual display?

Whatever, the folk of the Southern Highlands of NSW, based on picturesque Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale, and a dozen or so enchanting surrounding villages and hamlets just 1.5hours south of Sydney, certainly knew how to play the game with their 58th Annual Tulip Time Festival over the recent Labour Day Long Weekend.

Not only did they entice some 14,500 visitors to their Long Weekend Tulip Time based on Bowral’s famed Corbett Gardens with its kaleidoscopic 75,000 tulips and 15,000 annuals, but an all-time record 48,000 garden buffs came to enjoy these blooms over the fortnight embracing Tulip Time, and to see more than 40,000 other tulips planted across the Highlands. And to enjoy the Southern Highlands Annual Food and Wine Festival held at the same time.

According to Steve Rosa, Manager of Destination Southern Highlands, those 48,000 visitors were not only the most ever for Tulip Time, they were a whopping 14,000 more than Tulip Time 2017. They came from across NSW and by coach from as far as Melbourne, Brisbane and Queensland’s Sunshine Coast… but, Mr Rosa said, some even came from India, China and Korea as part of visits to Australia. He says the Highlands is hoping for bigger numbers next year, with Tulip Time from September 24 to October 7, 2019.

For more information about the Southern Highlands including Tulip Time 2019 and the Food and Wine Festival 2019, go to  www.southern-highlands.com.au