Up to 300 people were expected to get down and dirty in the garden for an opportunity to harvest the showcase tulips.

Local Margaret Stuart has attended the Bulb Dig Up for the past 11 years.

“Its great, such good fun and is all part of supporting sustainable gardens. It’s a way of having a little bit of the Southern Highlands spirit in your own garden, and the bulbs are available at only 10 per cent of their commercial value,” she said.

While some harvesters of the bulbs were first timers, Mrs Stuart’s experience has established a very strict routine from digging the bulbs to planting them.

“I wash them, put them in a mild Condy’s crystal solution then dry, store them in a net in a cool dry place like a laundry cupboard, put them in a crisper and on Anzac Day when the soil’s at 11 degrees, plant them at least twice the depth of the bulb,” she said.

Corbett Gardens held approximately 65,000 tulips this year in its superhero themed display and attracted 22,000, which was down 22 per cent on last year’s total, following the worst weather conditions in the 49-year history of the event.

Tourism manager for the Southern Highlands, Steve Rosa explained the red dust storm that blanketed the Shire and transformed each tulip to red and the gale force winds and heavy rain, which affected visitation to the gardens.

“We were quite buoyed by the 22,000 visitors that came because it was diabolical from the weather perspective,” he said.

The bulbs come from two commercial growers, one in Melbourne and another in Tasmania. With over 65,000 in Corbett Gardens alone, bulb diggers have plenty to harvest.

“The bulb dig gives an opportunity for the community to participate in Tulip Time and to replicate the great showcase of the gardens,” Mr Rosa said.

Proceeds from both the Bulb Dig and the Tulip Festival go toward the two nominated charities this year; BDCU Children’s Foundation and Westmead Children’s Hospital for kidney research as well as funding the 100,000 bulbs for next year’s display.