tulip

FLOWER power is all around me as I roll on the ground in a huge tulip field while my friend snaps away for social media.

You could be forgiven for thinking that I’m on a getaway in Holland with this rainbow of colours.

But this glorious spot that’s pretty in pink, white, purple, yellow and red is actually in West Sussex.

We’re visiting Tulleys Tulip Fest, near Crawley, which features 1.5million-plus bulbs in an eye-popping display.

Families stroll through the tulips with toddlers and couples walk dogs, soaking up the spring sunshine and gorgeous gardens.

There are prop bikes to pose on and a Ferris wheel for a view of the blooms from 33 metres up.

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Visitors aren’t afraid to lark around as they snap photos of the blooms again and again and I did my best to capture all of the 130-plus varieties on show.

Luckily my friend has brought her dog Penny, so we have another ‘model’ willing to go barking mad for pet-al pictures.

It’s easily one of the most wholesome days out I’ve had all year.

One of the best things about the fest is that it’s a family business.

The Beares have shown their love of tulips for more than four generations.

It’s all part of Tulleys’ wider collection of UK festivals, which also includes events in Hertfordshire and Warwickshire, all at full bloom until May.

I enhanced my experience by staying in a nearby hotel the night before the visit.

The five-star Alexander House & Utopia Spa in Turners Hill oozed luxury with delicious food and a giant bath in my room (there are plenty of spa treatments if you have time).

If you don’t have a car, a shuttle bus will get you from the village centre to the blooms in five minutes.

It’s easy to spend a good few hours at the festival and you can fuel up at the numerous food stalls, including one with delicious Dutch pancakes.

And if you want to add some colour to your home, there’s a flower-themed gift shop where I bagged some bulbs for my planter boxes.

Even better, I can return later this year for more fun at Tulleys’ pumpkin festival in October.

As I dusted off soil from my jeans and got ready to leave the floral feast, I caught a glimpse of a newly arrived visitor hitting the deck, twisting their body into a bizarre human pretzel just to get that perfect low-angle shot of a single red bloom.

I couldn’t help but grin.

This trip has reminded me that sometimes the best way to enjoy yourself is to tiptoe through the tulips, then roll around the flowers looking like an utter idiot.