A local botanical illustrator is bringing the history of a globally recognized flower to the community with a presentation at the Grimsby Museum. On June 13, 2026, Grimsby resident Maria Tran Von Bulow will host an event titled My Tulip Journey, where she will explain how rare tulip bulbs from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands eventually made their way to Grimsby with the help of the Royal Botanical Gardens.
The presentation, which runs from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., connects local horticultural interests to a much larger international story. Tran Von Bulow, who has built a career in botanical and scientific illustration and previously exhibited at the Museum of Nature in Ottawa, will trace the tulip’s path from its roots as a wildflower in Central Asia. The flowers were first cultivated by Persian and Turkish peoples in the 10th century before spreading to Anatolia.
The talk also covers the plant’s arrival in Western Europe, noting that Carolus Clusius established the first tulip collection at the University of Leiden in 1593. This development eventually led to Tulip Mania, a period between 1634 and 1637 that is recorded as the first speculative economic bubble in history, where rare bulbs were traded for extraordinary sums before the market collapsed.
Finally, the event highlights the long-standing connection between Canada and the Netherlands. This relationship was solidified after World War II, when the Dutch royal family sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in 1945 as a gesture of gratitude for Canada’s role in the liberation of the Netherlands and for hosting the royal family during the conflict. That gift evolved into the Canadian Tulip Festival, which began in 1953, and the tradition continues today with an annual gift of 20,000 bulbs sent from the Netherlands to Canada.
Residents interested in attending the event at the museum on 6 Ontario Street should check with the Town of Grimsby for pre-registration details.
