#north minneapolis

“The Tulip Lady”

Are the tulips in your neighborhood beginning to come to life? If you lived in North Minneapolis from the 1930s through the 1960s, each May brought an abundance of tulips thanks to Mabel Bergstrom, “the tulip lady.”

In her yard at 4018 Colfax Ave. N, Bergstrom grew thousands of tulips each spring. Despite debilitating arthritis that limited her to her bed or wheelchair, Bergstrom began planting tulips in her yard in the 1930s. With friends, family, and neighbors to help her tend the garden, Bergstrom expanded her tulip beds to two lots next to her home and continued to grow her garden over several decades. By 1939, she was growing 3,000 tulips of 150 varieties. Over 15,000 bulbs were planted in 1964.

Bergstrom’s garden became a citywide destination, and Bergstrom herself grew into a local celebrity. The Minneapolis papers printed stories inviting the public to Mrs. Bergstrom’s garden each May. Visitors were encouraged to bring their color cameras to capture pictures of the vibrant colors and unique tulip varieties. (Unfortunately, the newspaper photographers that took our photos only brought their black-and-white film.) School groups visited the garden, and the Bergstroms often hosted an annual festival day complete with girls in Dutch dress. In addition to sharing her beautiful blooms, Bergstrom sold her bulbs to the public through a “Tulip Lady” mail order service.

Mabel Bergstrom died January 18, 1970 at age 71. She is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Her tulip bulbs and their descendants are undoubtedly still bringing joyful colors to gardens throughout the Twin Cities.

Photos of Mabel Bergstrom’s gardens, including girls in Dutch costume (P58702), close up of tulips (P58703), and Mrs. Bergstrom in her garden (P58704), from the Minneapolis Newspaper Photograph Collection in the Hennepin County Library Digital Collections.