A great community beautification idea in San Francisco

According to the San Francisco Chronicle ("100,000 tulips headed to San Francisco — and they're free for the picking"), 100,000 tulip bulbs will be deposited on Union Square and offered up on a first come, first serve basis. From the article:

March 2nd is American Tulip Day, a celebration of American tulips grown from Dutch-raised bulbs. To celebrate, Dutch flower bulb trader Royal Anthos, iBulb.org and the Consulate General of San Francisco are transporting thousands of multicolor tulips to the bustling tourist center.

Visitors are invited to pick their own bunch of tulips to take home between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., the three-and-a-half-hour stretch that the garden is open to the public. Access to the garden — and the tulips — is free.

I guess they've done this for a few years.