Last chance to pick tulips at Northampton farm with lots on offer to entertain the kids

Pick your own tulips at Overstone Grange Farm on the A43 Kettering Road outside Northampton. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds

This weekend is the last chance people have to pick tulips at a farm near Northampton - with plenty more available to entertain the kids.

Overstone Grange Farm planted more than 60,000 tulip bulbs in more than 30 varieties to be picked by visitors this spring.

There is also a 'spring hunt' for children to enjoy, tractor tyre sandpits, a bale tower, games and lambs plus refreshments and treats from Roaming Giraffe.

Tom and Lucy Harris, who run the Kettering Road farm , said it was great to be able to offer the flower-picking this season after being unable to this time last year because of the first coronavirus lockdown.

Lucy said: "It was heartbreaking after planting them all but we were glad we could pick them before there was any bad wind that would blow all the petals away.

"But we picked as many as humanly possible and we were delighted to give them to key workers who were driving past as it was so hard for them at that time."

The couple handed out around 1,000 free tulips to workers in the NHS, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, schools, supermarkets, lorry drivers and more.

They also gave the flowers to the postman who delivered them to isolated people but they are going back to the usual pick-your-own system this year.

Entry used to be free but it is now £3 for adults and £5 for children as Lucy said people used to stay for hours without buying anything but they could not afford that anymore.

"We need that money now as we need more staff, we've hired a Portaloo and other costs so we would be losing money if people weren't paying to come in," she said.

Visitors are also encouraged to bring their own secateurs for Covid safety reasons, rather than having to hire them, and book ahead online at ticketsource.co.uk/overstone-grange-farm.

The tulip picking field is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm at the weekend. Tulips are eight for £5 or 20 for £10.

For more information, visit overstonegrangefarm.co.uk or Overstone Grange Farm's Facebook or Instagram pages.