The yellow Dutch tulips so common in old-fashioned South African gardens are probably related to the first bulbs introduced by Dominee Brink in the 1920’s.

Ds Brink arrived in Sutherland in 1925 in the middle of a snowstorm. Having lived in Holland as a student, he noticed a similarity between Sutherland’s winter climate and the winters in Holland, albeit without Holland’s waterlogged flatlands and high annual rainfall.

In 1926, Ds Brink asked a friend in Holland to send seventy five tulip bulbs out to Africa. He began experimenting with this small stock. In 1929, after some trial and error, his first tulip bloomed and there was no looking back and tulips were subsequently cultivated at Koornlandskloof farm for many years. Brink made Sutherland his home for the next 25 years, during which time he distributed about one hundred thousand yellow tulip bulbs throughout South Africa. Later, tulip growing declined and today there are no large scale tulip farms in the area.

But a revival is in the air. 

Jolene and Kobus du Plessis, a young local couple, have future plans to start growing tulips on their large property in Sutherland.

“The idea is to start experimenting on a small scale and doing proper research before we launch anything commercial,” says Jolene.
As a farmer’s son born and bred in the Sutherland district, contributing to Sutherland’s agricultural economic prospects is something very close to Kobus’ heart.

If it comes off, visitors to Sutherland may be greeted by the sight of fields of tulips in the years ahead - quite something in the middle of the Karoo!

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