The tulips and daffodils are blooming on the Riverwalk, in pink, yellow, white, and purple, a mix of spring colors designed to look like Easter eggs in a basket.
Tulips in bloom in front of the Park District Administration Building

Daffodils at the Riverwalk
I was curious about what goes into the planning of the Riverwalk flower beds and how the unusually warm spring weather might affect this year’s plantings. Naperville Park District Park Specialist Ron Kwak, who plans both the spring bulbs and the annuals, was able to tell me more. Here’s a Q and A summarizing what I learned about the beautiful floral displays gracing our Riverwalk, Centennial Beach, and the other downtown areas maintained by the Park District.
Q: Just how early are the Riverwalk bulbs this year?
A: A full month early. Last year, the tulips began breaking through the ground on April 2; this year it happened by March 4.

Ron Kwak, Efren T. Perez and Israel Ruiz
Q: How will the early bloom affect the Naperville Park District’s annual bulb sale?
A: As in previous years, the Naperville Park District will make the bulbs available to the public at the annual bulb sale on May 11. The bulbs most likely will be without the stems and leaves at the time of the bulb sale. Customers can store them over the summer in a cool, dark place and plant them in the fall.
Q: How many bulbs did your staff plant last fall for this spring’s bloom?
A: Two staff members, Efren T. Perez and Israel Ruiz, planted 13,000 bulbs in just two days last October. They have a big drill and know how to use it! We are proud of the excellent work that they do to keep the Riverwalk beautiful.


Q: Why do you plant new bulbs each year?
A: The tulip beds are also the annual beds. In most years, the tulips would not die back in time to clear the beds for the annuals, which must be planted in mid-May. In order to ensure that a bulb left in place will flower the following year, the dying leaves and stems of the tulips must remain undisturbed until their nutrients are absorbed into the bulb. Even if left the bulbs in place, they may only flower for the next 2 or 3 years.
Q: Speaking of annuals, what displays do we have to look forward to around the Riverwalk and Centennial Beach this summer?
A: You will see a splash of color—blue, orange, purple, red, yellow, with New Guinea impatiens, heliotrope marine, croton, and chili peppers. The Beach will have a tropical theme, with palms and banana trees. The banana trees grow fine as annuals in our climate, though they won’t produce bananas for us!
Heliotrope marine. Photo courtesy of www.flowerinfo.org

Croton. Photo courtesy of www.flowerinfo.org.
Q: The ornamental grasses along the Riverwalk are beautiful as well. What are some of the varieties that you plant?
A: We started planting ornamental grasses about ten years ago and they are doing well. They require little maintenance, nothing eats them, and they thrive in the sun. Fountain grass, or pennisetum, provides a nice accent and is hardy. We also plant feather reed grass.
Q: How many annuals does the Park District plant along the Riverwalk and surrounding areas?
A: We are planning to plant 12,383 plants within a week’s time, depending on the weather.
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