May I Brag a Little?

 

I’ve never needed to have the fastest car, the most expensive purse or the flashiest jewelry. That stuff just doesn’t matter to me. But I have to share my excitement about my big, beautiful tulips! A few months back I decided I needed tulips this spring: some at the community garden and some at home. I hadn’t planted tulips before and I chose a hybrid Darwin mix, which would yield variety in the coloration. I sank them into dirt and then waited (impatiently). Finally they poked their first green leaves up, and began to grow. I’ve been checking the tulips in our yard each day, but I hadn’t been to the community garden in over a week. I decided to pop in there today, just to see if things were growing.

Sitting in my garden bed was a giant red bloom, a cheerful sign that spring is truly here. I stared at it in awe, as it was so much bigger than I thought it would be, and had a different shape than I’d expected. When open, its petals form a cup shape, and it is so big it literally could hold six ounces of coffee! Here is the vibrant tulip I planted at the community garden:

 

 

Once home, I headed straight for the back yard, to see if any of my tulips there had grown. Yesterday this is what my FTOS (First Tulip of Spring) looked like. It was close to opening:

Today, my backyard tulip was open! I was delighted by how bright its petals were. When it is still closed, you don’t know how colorful it will be, but once open, it’s full of color!

I love that these two tulips opened on the same day, in different locations. It’s officially spring around here and I’m loving it. Stay tuned for upcoming reports on blooming anemones, ranunculus, zinnias, dahlias, epiphyllum, succulents ,sun flowers, carrots, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, green onion, and my always-in-bloom felt flowers!