One of the unexpected pluses that presented itself during my lovely birthday celebration was the tulip garden blossoming outside the Grace Hudson Museum. I could scarcely coax some of my girlfriends into the Maynard Dixon western art show we’d come to see as they shot the tulips from every angle. Hmmm. Good idea! Today I returned, camera in hand, and immersed myself in their spectacular beauty!
During Antonia’s childhood we lived in Amsterdam for three years, so tulips hold a special place in the hearts of our family. These miraculously colorful flowers readily conjure the stands of flower sellers along the narrow flower markets that lie near the treasured canals that crisscross that beautiful city. Here is what we are likely to remember.
We fully immersed ourselves into Dutch culture and tulips became an icon of the life we came to know and love in Holland. It was with this precious memory in mind that I approached this lovely shoot.
You might well know the Dutch have been working with tulips since the 17th C. when a biologist working in Leiden received bulbs from a colleague in Turkey. And so began their extraordinary history. Their story continues in my visit to the museum gardens here.
Could these be any more dear?
Or cheerful?
I changed my view to begin to look at single flowers. I find myself in awe witnessing this purple variegated tulip.
Forever a fan of tulips through their various stages once cut, I appreciate how this one has begun its backward bend into even greater beauty.
Are you thinking Easter yet??
Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
~Mary Oliver
The restoring freshness of white. Hmmmm…
Beholding your beauty I will sleep a little more deeply tonight, your blessed gifts having filled my mind, my eye, my heart. Thank you, dear tulips. Thank you, dear readers, for sharing the journey.
Love and spring blessings,
Kathryn xoxoo
Posted on March 19th, 2010 by Kathryn
Filed under: Plants
O-M-G!!!!! I love you for this post – pictures are so lovely. Thank you for this spring pictures. We are having second warm day this year, so I will not tell you how sick I am of winter this year…
greetings 🙂 you are still not in bed yet?
What a Gorgeous journey, mom! Both in the sharing of these pics, and in the memories conjured of early years in Lovely Amsterdam! Beautiful!
Happy Spring!
Love you,
Antonia
xoxo
Hi, Ewa!! LOL! I’m so glad you enjoyed the spring flowers! I thought of you last night when Lisa Kudrow went to Poland to find her ancestors. (Do you have access to this show??) And here you are this morning, drooling over the tulips! 🙂 Hugs! Spring will be there soon! Kathryn xoxo
Good morning hugs to you, Antonia! Thought you would enjoy this post! Glad I got to share in person as well. Love, Mommie xoxo
Hi Kathryn!
What a beautiful and cheerful thing to see this morning!
I just loved it!
:)Philip
Good morning, Philip! Lovely to see you here this morning, and glad you loved the tulips! Kathryn xoxo
WOW!!!! What a blast of beauty in those photos… and what a great way to greet Spring Equinox!
Thank you, K…. I could almost inhale the freshness from my computer screen.
Aloha from Maui, p
Gorgeous! Thanks for brightening my day!
Hi, Pamela! So glad we could send some beauty from California to beautiful Hawaii! Love, Kathryn xoxo
Good morning, Kim, and welcome! Brightening your day brightens my day! Thanks! Kathryn xoxo
I use your gorgeous pictures for desktop……..love your whole blog……Nancy in Missouri
Welcome, Nancy Smith! I’m honored! Thank you for your kind comments! Kathryn xoxo
Great pictures. Tulips are the ultimate spring flower here in Ohio because unlike daffodils and the minor bulbs (which are only minor by name, not by joy) few tulips thrive and multiply. If you want a good show, you have to plant them every fall. But if you put in the time and energy, what a show you get. Thanks so much for sharing. We are up to early daffodils at this point in the spring parade!
Hugs, Julie
Hi, Julie! I always think of tulips as rather difficult, but maybe they are not. The ones I have in pots are not always forthcoming. So I’m particularly grateful for this display! Happy spring! Kathryn xoxo
What a beautiful post, dear Kathryn. I adore tulips and your photos are stunning! Belated happy birthday wishes and happy spring!
Hi Kathryn – I’ve never really been a big fan of tulips (don’t know why really – perhaps I had an unhappy incident with one in childhood?!) but these are glorious and could well convert me to being a tulip lover after all!!!
Have a great tulip filled spring 🙂
Simply spectacular, Kathryn, and in all my favourite colours. 🙂
Good morning, Joey! Lovely to see you here today! I knew you would love tulips! Bet you have plenty in your beautiful garden! Kathryn xoxo
Hi, Liz! Gosh, you must have access to the best of the best! I particularly love them as cut flowers as I so enjoy their entire process. I keep them in the vase until the last petal has fallen. (You’ll see!) Hugs!
Kathryn xoxo
Oh, hi, Nancy! So glad you enjoyed this find! Kathryn xoxoo
I have resisted tulips all my gardening life, but I am feeling I am going to give it. Things will look pretty different at my place next spring!
Good morning, commonweeder! I’d love to do a post next spring of all the fledgling tulip gardens that spring into being due to this post! GOOD LUCK! Kathryn xxoox
[…] Tulips are some of the most perfect looking flowers I know about. Here’s a link to some great photos of tulips. […]