Pick-your-own flowers: Zoltán Major introducing TulipGarden Mórahalom

Our first interview guides us to TulipGarden Mórahalom, the first pick-your-own flower farm of the region. Zoltán Major, executive manager of Alba Milagro Hungary Ltd. explains the whole story of the garden, from ideas to current plans and preparations for the garden's second season in 2022. 

How was the idea of TulipGarden Mórahalom born?

The story of TulipGarden Mórahalom started with a friendly discussion with Zoltán Mátrai, whose original idea has now become a Hungary-wide franchise system. This brainstorming led from the very first TulipGarden in Balaton to the establishment of the TulipGarden franchise system.

Thus, falling in my own trap, in 2021, our own garden started operating in Mórahalom (besides two sister gardens, at Tisza-tó and in Csömödér). Its establishment and operation are based on an old acquaintance. We have been friends with Péter Raj for more than twenty years. 

From fellow students we became colleagues and then business partners and, thanks to TulipGarden, gardening partners. Our wives, Evelin and Kata, as well as our families and gardening colleagues, are of great help in designing, maintaining, and expanding the garden.

Tell us about the aim of the garden.

The garden was created with the aim of providing a close-to-nature, quality pastime for families and all visitors, as well as a long-term community space that also provides an opportunity to showcase local craft values. Our company moved to Mórahalom in 2020 with the aim to become a useful player in the life of the city.

We have developed excellent cooperation with the city, and feel that the garden complements the touristic values and horticultural traditions of Mórahalom very well.

In addition to all this, we have decided that we want to help improve the lives of other people, hence, we offer a certain part of the sales revenue from the operation of the garden to foundations. We have already done this in the first year and we will do so in the decades ahead.

What are your current development plans?

Our garden is located on one and a half hectares, 5.5 kilometers from Mórahalom and 19 kilometers - approximately 20 minutes by car - from Szeged. We set off last year with fifty thousand flower bulbs and more than seven thousand people visited us, which is a great feeling. 

Seeing this has further strengthened our will to do about our garden and we have made a number of development plans. This year, we will double the number of bulbous flowers. Furthermore, we planted 500 peonies, those will be in full bloom in 3 years. We also plan to create a rose garden of nearly 900 plants in the spring.

Our landscaping efforts, in which we planted about 400 plants around the tulips, serve our long-term goals. For the children to have fun, a playground is being set up next to our garden pond. This pond will be home to 7 turtles, creating a mini turtle sanctuary as the equivalent of the nearby Water Buffalo Reserve.

Are you satisfied with the project so far?

Yes. Although we are agricultural engineers, we do not work in agricultural production, so it is a great pleasure to see the results of our productive work in the garden and the feedback of our satisfied guests. Hopefully, we will be able to offer close-to-nature recreation possibilities to even more people this year, as the first program of the spring.

In my opinion, a trip to TulipGarden Mórahalom can be extended into a weekend's program by visiting the sights of Szeged, the St. Elizabeth Spa in Mórahalom, the Park of a Thousand Years presenting the architectural and historical monuments of Hungary, and the nearby Water Buffalo Reserve.

What can visitors expect to see at TulipGarden Mórahalom this year?

Depending on the weather, TulipGarden Mórahalom is expected to reopen in April. To help our visitors plan their trip to the garden we post regular updates about opening hours and the stage of flowering on the TulipGarden Mórahalom Facebook page. 

If everything goes to plan, this year visitors can enjoy the sight of almost 120,000 flowers. We will have 20 different tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils. We have also created a demonstration garden, thanks to which 35 types of spring flowers will be displayed this year. We can't wait to welcome our guests again!