Rows of colorful tulip petals created a mosaic across the Ted Ensley Gardens on April 2 as Marcus Lee took his dog, Dean for a stroll.

"One night of storms and rain, and just from yesterday, it's completely different," he said.

Although the official Jerold Binkley Tulip Time Festival isn't until later this week, the tens of thousands of bulbs planted across the grounds of Lake Shawnee and other county parks follow their own schedule.

Fall planting for spring blooming

Each year, Shawnee County Parks and Recreation recruit volunteers to help their staff of horticulturalists plant thousands upon thousands of tulip bulbs.

Arrangements are designed in garden beds using different varieties and colors. This year, a trio of flowers planted on a bed just north of the Ted Ensley ponds bloom creating giant yellow petals and a larger-than-life red tulip with stem.

The 9-acre spread at Lake Shawnee isn't the only area to catch tulip fever.

Since 2016, volunteers from Friends of Ward-Meade design and create the lighted displays under the direction of lead horticulturist Aaron Atkins. There are now more than 90 displays covering its 2.5-acre botanical garden, as well as on the Old Prairie Town grounds.

Atkins said they plant varieties that are early-, late- and mid-bloomers but due to the recent weather and temperature changes, they are all blooming now.

"In my years, this is the earliest that they've ever bloomed," he said.

The Tulips at Twilight festival runs from 7-10 p.m. April 10-27 and is only open Thursday-Sunday evenings.

At Gage Park, visitors can view tulips blooming at the Doran Rock Garden to the west of the Reinisch Rose Garden.