North Texas Daily: "Texas Tulips' history serves more than just an Instagram post"
April 26, 2017 By Texas Tulips
What started as a fascination with the prime time soap opera "Dallas" nearly 30 years ago has since found itself blooming into something much bigger right here in North Texas. Though everyone they knew discouraged it, Pieter and Petra Koeman were determined to bring their dream to life in the United States.
In January 2015, the Koeman's, along with their children Pieter Jr., 11, and Hillary, 9, made the move to Pilot Point where their new home and ultimate business, Texas Tulips, awaited them.
Finding the right location for this dream was no easy task, however.
"We started this process five years ago, [and] before that, neither one of us had ever been to the United States," Petra said.
"We didn't know anyone here at all," Pieter added.
Though unfamiliar with Texas aside from what they had seen on TV, the Koeman's jumped into the moving process with only one plan: finding the right real estate agent.
"We came across a guy by the name of Kelly Peace," Pieter said. "I told him we were coming from the Netherlands and wanted to start a tulip farm. I think he thought it was a joke."
Even after discussing their plans and expectations over the phone in great detail with their real estate agent, nothing came to fruition until Pieter and Petra showed up unexpectedly in DFW one day.
"To be honest, I was a little leery at first because I thought it might have been some kind of prank or a scam," Peace, 50, said.
However, after multiple visits to the United States, the Koeman's rid Peace of any skepticism he had.
"Maybe six months after they left the first time, they came back," Peace said. "That's when I realized they were really serious about this."
Peace eventually served as more than just a realtor.
"[Peace] helped us with everything from finding a suitable bank to a lawyer for our immigration process," Pieter said. "We were very fortunate to find him."
Pieter and Petra Koeman in front of their primary farming tractor, shipped from the Netherlands. Alec Spicer
Locking down a consistent relationship with a realtor they could trust was only half the battle.
Texas' notoriously unpredictable weather posed concerns for the Netherlands natives when scoping out the right location for their tulips. After doing extensive research, the Koeman's came to decide Pilot Point would be the ideal spot for their vision.
"We did a lot of investigation that was necessary for the growth of flowers from weather history to soil stability in many areas around Dallas," Pieter said.
Although they had no experience with American nature or its climate, the Koeman's weren't strangers to tulip farming. Having come from a long line of family farmers, Pieter sold tulips back in the Netherlands for many years prior to his newfound American residence.
"In the Netherlands, I still worked with the flowers, but I was mainly selling to wholesalers and it just wasn't fulfilling for me," Pieter said.
It was this same lack of fulfillment that helped the Koeman's come up with their idea to cultivate fields reminiscent of their native land. It wasn't until after they opened Texas Tulips to the public that the Koeman's realized they had tapped into a vacant floral market in Texas and its surrounding areas.
"I think what we're doing here is different [because] there is nothing truly like this in the south," Pieter said.
Along with just one other native Dutch farmer who also now calls Texas home, Pieter plants and tends to the entirety of the tulip fields himself.
With a $5 entrance fee, a charge of $2.50 per tulip stem (though picking is not required to enter) and free parking, the Koeman's have created both a unique and affordable experience for residents of North Texas.
Not only do the Koeman's make efforts to maintain a cost-effective business model, they also take advantage of free marketing with a number of social media platforms. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook have proven to be instrumental in spreading word of their still relatively young business.
"I actually heard about it through a Facebook post that was going viral with these photos of huge tulip fields so I drove like 45 minutes to see it for myself," Collin College student Olivia Rodriguez, 23, said. "I spent something like $40 on tulips alone by the time I left."
Regardless of a recently noticeable growth in attendance, particularly in young people, the Koeman's insist they are just happy to share the experience they've created with others.
"The money is not what makes us happy. I get more of a good feeling when I see people out here in our fields, taking pictures for Instagram and just enjoying the tulips than I do seeing them buy anything," Petra said.
Tulip bulbs remain in the fields at Texas-Tulips. Alec Spicer
Profit is far from their biggest concern during Tulip season, which is mid-February to late March, however. Pieter and Petra continue their business throughout the year by selling bulbs, all of which are imported directly from the Netherlands, on their online web show. They also hold a Christmas tulip fair in December.
"We still get calls every single day asking if the actual fields are open," Petra said as she returned from a phone call inquiring about the field's hours of operation.
"Unfortunately it's a small five to six week period beginning in February," Pieter said.
Only a few years into their North Texas tenure, the Koeman's have created a resounding attraction at a rapidly growing rate.
"They had this vision for their own American dream that they really believed in, and it just blew up," Peace said. "I saw it myself when I visited the fields for the first time, and I nearly teared up."
The Koeman's remain confident in their choice to leave everything behind and begin their new chapter of life in the U.S. despite the 30 years of patience and planning. In fact, even aside from initial inspiration from J.R. and the cast at Southfork Ranch many years ago, Pieter and Petra plan to make North Texas their home for good.
"Everyone here has welcomed us with open arms, our children love it and we're just so happy to finally be here," Pieter and Petra agreed. "We want to do this for the rest our lives."
Source: http://ntdaily.com/texas-tulips-history-serves-more-than-just-an-instagram-post/
Featured Image: Texas-Tulips entry sign at the head of Pecan Creek Ranch in Pilot Point. Alec Spicer
Filed Under: highlights-2017
Tulips are already blooming in Texas
February 27, 2017 By Texas Tulips
Thanks to the warm weather, a tulip farm in Pilot Point is already seeing some beautiful flowers!
Huffington Post: A Texas Tulip farm with roots in Netherlands
Yes there are tulips in Texas and like everything else in Texas, they are big and beautiful.
We have a yearly tradition of visiting the Dallas Arboretum during their Spring bloom season to enjoy the hundreds of colorful spring blooms from tulips, daffodils, Dutch Iris and hyacinths, pansies, violas, poppies and thousands of other spring-blooming annuals and perennials. Dallas Arboretum was the only place around town where you could see rows after rows of tulips – that was before Texas Tulips entered the spring blooms scene.
Set in a farm only 45 minutes drive from Dallas, Texas Tulips looks like a mini getaway to the tulip fields of Holland. With a forecast of sunshine and high 60s this weekend, we are planning on packing a picnic and stopping for a visit. For a minimum entrance fee you get to pick the tulips you want in a cute basket. Then you pay for the tulips and the staff puts them in gel and wraps them beautiful to take home and enjoy. Texas Tulips has brought the joy of Holland tulips right here to Texas!
If you like to grow them in your own yard plan early and buy their pre-cooled Tulip bulbs sold by the dozen that are prepared and ready for planting. The bulbs will be delivered early-December 2017 through early January 2018. If you like the blooms but not the work, Texas Tulips will even come plant it for you. They have a bulb planting machine that can plant bulbs quickly, easily, and can even plant through sod. This service is available if you buy 2000 plus bulbs.
Pieter and Petra Koeman, who are originally from the Netherlands, brought a piece of their home to Texas by opening Texas-Tulips. They visited Texas several times, loved what they saw, and finally decided to set up a tulip company in Pilot Point Texas. They found the perfect fusion of fertile soil, country charm within the DFW-Metroplex, and nice weather during the spring season in the gentle, rolling hills north of Dallas. They plant the tulips in December and they bloom from March to end of April. Their mother Afra at 73 years old, is still very active in the company, she along with her husband owned a 80 acre tulip farm and each winter grew tens of millions of tulips in their greenhouses. These tulips were then sold at flower auctions in the Netherlands. Spring is usually when we North Texans begin searching for bluebonnet fields to take our spring pictures, this year instead head to Texas Tulips for your Easter or Spring pictures. It's a European floral paradise right in the heart of North Texas with rows upon rows of yellow, white and pink tulips blossoming. The gorgeous pictures will have your friends thinking that you went on an European getaway to the tulips gardens of Netherlands.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-texas-tulip-farm-with-roots-in-netherlands_us_58af9142e4b02f3f81e445b9
Texas Tulips: A Great Day Trip – from Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Plano
As I walked between the rows of blooming pink and yellow tulips, a driver on FM-2931 honked his horn in a cheerful rhythm. And that's the way it is when you are near Texas Tulips and see the hues of tulips in various stages of bloom: Joyful!
We have Petra and Pieter Koeman, and the TV series "Dallas", to thank for these fields of wonder. You see, as a young adult working in his parents' tulip business in Holland, Pieter religiously followed the ups and downs of the Ewing family each week, taking in the sweeping views of the Dallas landscape during the title sequence of each episode. He vowed that one day he would move to Dallas where he would run his own tulip farm.
After years of perfecting the trade with his parents, their production of millions of tulip bulbs were commanding peak price at the world's largest flower auction, The Aalsmeer Flower Auction. After his father's passing in 2011, Pieter called a realtor he found on Google and told him of his plans to start a tulip business in Texas. A week later when Pieter and Petra arrived in Dallas and phoned the realtor, the realtor was stunned to realize Pieter was serious. And off they set for the best location suitable for tulips.
As it turns out, the sandy soil in Pilot Point favored by equine owners is also ideal for tulips. Rancher Jerry Bobo sold his 26+ acres to the Koeman family, who immediately set to work creating the destination visitors enjoy today. Today you will find 90 varieties of tulips at Texas Tulips.
If you have an opportunity to meet Pieter and Petra, their children or any of the family members who help them at Texas Tulips, you'll feel like you're visiting at a friend's home. Their warmth and excitement for bringing this Holland tradition almost halfway across the globe is evident. That could be why Mr. Bobo stuck around and now assists each year at the entrance to the flower fields.
The Process of Growing Tulips in Texas
What passersby see as a small miracle each winter at Texas Tulips is the result of hours of hard work. Each year new bulbs are ordered and planted, with each bulb producing one stem for the entire season. (The summer Texas heat is too much for the bulb to be reused.) Each year the rows rotate between grassy walking paths and mounds of tulips.
You Can Pick Them–If You Buy Them
Unlike the Dallas Arboretum, you are invited to pick the flowers of your choice to take home. Due to the process mentioned above, each stem sells for $2.50. The bouquets you pick are carefully set in a gel preservative to keep the flowers fresh on your route home. You then choose from five colors of tissue paper to wrap your treasure until you return home. (Wash the gel from the stem and place in fresh water.)
Is Texas Tulips an Authentic Reproduction of the Tulip Fields in Holland?
We met a visitor, Larry, who had relocated to Texas from Holland. He, his wife and two children were enjoying the tulip fields where he told us he came to visit to feel a little closer to home. Larry assured us that this field was an excellent representation of the fields he enjoyed back in The Netherlands, albeit on a smaller scale.
If You're Hungry While Visiting Texas Tulips
Walking to our car we were discussing where to get a bite to eat. As we pulled out of the parking lot, we saw a large sign for Mom's Home Cooking in historic Aubrey, so we took a chance and tried it out. Hubby ordered the Kitchen Sink Burger ($12.99) with fries and I, the Chicken Fried Steak ($11.99) with red potatoes and fried okra. We also split a piece of buttermilk pie ($4.99), which was huge. The food did indeed taste homemade as advertised, which is a treat in these days of fast food. The place was quaint and a fun stop.
If you're searching for fast food, head south on FM-424 and 380 where you'll find many choices.
Things to Know When Visiting Texas Tulips
After a rain, it is best to wear your rubber boots as water may sit in low lying areas. A hose is provided to clean off before walking to your car. Plastic booties were provided for our shoes.
The weather is difficult to predict and is responsible for the bloom season. Best prediction is the blooms will last until about March 20. The next two weeks (February 21-March 10, 2017) will probably be the best time to visit.
Professional photographers are charged $25 and may stay for the day with multiple clients. (Clients are charged regular admission.)
A hay maze is available at no additional cost for children to enjoy.
Portable toilets are available on site.
Watch their Facebook page for bloom updates.
How to Contact Texas Tulips, Pilot Point, TX
10656 FM2931
Pilot Point, TX 76258
Website: https://texas-tulips.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/texastulips
Email: info@texas-tulips
Source: http://collincountyguide.com/TexasTulips.html
Blooming business
May 1, 2015 By Texas Tulips
THE POST SIGNAL – A Dutch boy rides his bicycle down the road to his family's tulip farm, his blond hair neatly combed over to one side. His mother, father, grandmother, sister and aunt wait for him, surrounded by bright pink tulips laid out in rows throughout their field.
This isn't a scene from a postcard, though it could be. This is a scene from the Koeman family's tulip farm, located outside of Pilot Point.
Tulip field right outside of Denton
April 6, 2015 By Texas Tulips
TEXAS AGRICULTURE DAILY NEWS – Texas now has its first tulip field right outside of Denton in Pilot Point. Pieter and Petra Koeman, who are originally from the Netherlands, have brought a piece of their home to Texas by opening Texas-Tulips.
The rich soil and spring weather make Pilot Point an ideal location for the Koeman's tulip field, according to WFAA. The flowers, which they planted in December, are in full bloom through late April.
Admission to Texas-Tulips is free and open until April 20. It's a great scene for budding photographers. The flowers also can be picked, but the cost is $2.50 per tulip.