Tulip season is almost over. I love their explosions of color and form!

Sun and shadow on the frilly petals of this parrot tulip, in shades of pink and peach, seen at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in March

Also posting this on Through My Lens Monday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a great day.

Of all the winter holidays, the solstice is the one I await most eagerly. Happy return of the light to you and yours!

Happy Winter Solstice

Linking to Through My Lens Monday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Bliss Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Pink Saturday. Please visit here again soon!

This tulip is on its way out, but the graceful petal forms still enchant me.

Exuberant pink parrot tulip on display at Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle

Linking up with Our World Tuesday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Floral Bliss Wednesday,  Thursday Challenge (Close), Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, and Pink Saturday. If only one photo showing, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more. Thanks!

Tulips naturalize if conditions are just right. They don’t like any water in the summers. But bluebells bloom anywhere, and just at the same time. Good combo, yes?

Yellow, orange and red tulip with bluebells

Joining Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Floral Bliss Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Friday Just Be, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Pink Saturday. Thanks for your visit here and hope to see you again very soon.

A bouquet of red and white fringed tulips, starting to fade.

Red and white parrot tulip with deep fringes, against a black background

Linking with Our World Tuesday, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, NF Catching the Light Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. I very much appreciate your visit here and hope to see you again soon!

In my front yard, a blush coral tulip after some rain.

Rosy pink-orange tulip with shiny raindrops

Connecting to Our World Tuesday, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Water World Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Hope you enjoyed your visit here and see you again soon!

Last week it was sunny, briefly (pouring right now), and the tulips in my front yard put on a show.

Macro of red and yellow tulip center lit by sunshine

Joining up with Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If you’re a macro fan, try clicking on the tag “close up” in the tag cloud at right.

This is the last gasp of my sweet Valentine’s Day tulips, perfect as they fade away.

Tulip blossom with red petals and fringed white edges, and pistil and stamens casting a tiny shadow

Linking to Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Seasonal Sundays, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Ruby Tuesday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest pictures here.

A fine image for the beginning of January, don’t you think? This was taken at the most recent NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle, the largest garden show on the West coast. And we will be there! Daughter and jewelry designer Lila, and I, will be showing our jewelry and of course, my Flowers book in booth 2806. Come see us!

Yellow and white striped tulip is almost open

Visit Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma and Monday Mellow Yellows (new meme!). Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the other images here. Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year!

This is one of the 150 or 200 tulips we planted in our garden last fall, photographed the other day after the soft rain stopped. I totally love them.

They take a lot of work to plant, you know. In the fall in a spot with excellent drainage, you have to dig quite deep, a good foot. Fill back half way, improve the soil with compost and a couple of handfuls of bone meal, then place the bulbs (a few inches apart) on that, about six inches from the top surface, pointed end up. Fill the hole with more good soil, and wait eagerly for spring.

Visit Watery Wednesday after your visit here for more water photos of all kinds. To return to the full blog with my latest post on top, click on Sara’s Fave Photos above.