Sunday 3 May 2015

Tiptoeing Through the Tulips

Yesterday morning I indulged in one of my favourite seasonal treats, a spot of tulip-picking. For the fourth year in a row our favourite farm has opened its pick-your-own tulip field - you can read about it here when it was featured in Country Living magazine not so long ago. We have been every year to pick tulips, and now it has become an annual fixture in our calendar.



When we arrived at the farm P went off to the cafe for a coffee and to read his book, and I eagerly picked up a bucket and headed for the field.



 Despite the fact that it was a very chilly and overcast morning there were swallows swooping overhead and the colours of the tulips glowed against the fresh spring grass. It felt wonderful to be out in the fields on a Saturday morning!


I have to say, with my bucket in one hand and my camera in the other I felt the same tingle of excitement that I feel in a yarn or bead shop. So many colours and shapes - which to pick first?



Pretty soon my jaunty yellow bucket was full of gorgeous tulips. I'm pretty certain I'd managed to pick some of each variety.

Aren't they heavenly?


They grew in wonderful rows of raspberry red. Perhaps my favourites? ...hmm ... hard to decide.


Back home I put them on the dining room table, and kept 25 for us. The other 25 I gave to my dad today. It was his 90th birthday recently and we all had a family get-together at a country pub to celebrate. My parents love flowers and gardening, and he was delighted with them.


Last year I photographed the tulips I picked, as I loved the variety of forms and colours. Looking at the two year's bunches, I can see some similarities and differences. 


My family thought I was a bit odd taking photos of individual tulips, but you understand don't you, dear reader? Lily, peony, single, double, fringed, parrot ... so many lovely shapes. 
Here they all are.






















If you made it to the end of this post, well done! I hope you enjoyed all this delightful floral colour!
Have a happy weekend x

30 comments:

  1. Lovely flowers and photos,as for taking individual photos, all very normal for blog land.

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    1. Thank you Marlene! that's what nice about blogging isn't it? We all do things like giving individual tulips their own photoshoot!
      Cathy x

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  2. Cathy, I am so envious of you, your photoa are stunning and I adore all the Tulips.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you so much, Irene :) We are very lucky to live so near the pick-your-own field.
      Cathy x

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  3. Buckets of gorgeousness! What a lovely annual tradition and I'm sure your Dad was thrilled with his blooms. I tried to decide which was my favourite one but couldn't; I'll have one of each please! xx

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    1. Yes, my dad was thrilled with them, and I agree about choosing. That's why I dither so much when I'm picking :)
      Cathy x

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  4. Amazing! At first I thought it was your own cutting garden! I can quite understand Tulipmania.
    Congratulations to your Dad! How lovely that he is fit enough to enjoy family celebrations like that.

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    1. Thank you Linda - a cutting garden like that would be amazing! We are lucky that my parents are so able and independent at their age. My dad really doesn't look or act 90, and they both garden every day. Perhaps that's their secret :)
      Cathy x

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  5. Oh that we all had a tulip farm nearby! Fabulous.

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    1. Perhaps other farms will begin to follow suit - I hope so! Thank you for dropping by :)
      Cathy x

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  6. What beautiful pics and beautiful tulips !!! Impressive !!

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    1. Thank you Geraldine - they are gorgeous, aren't they?
      Cathy x

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  7. I live less than 10 miles from Farrington Gurney but I hadn't heard of the tulip fields! Looks fantastic, tulips are one of my favourite flowers.

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    1. Thank you Jill, you're not far away from me! Farrington's is our local farm shop, just a couple of miles away. There are still plenty of tulips left, if you're interested :)
      Cathy x

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  8. Oh wow, tulips are my favourite flower and I love the idea that you can go and pick them. Funnily enough I have just blogged some tulip photos too. I love your individual tulip photos - stunning. xx

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    1. Thank you, Jan! Just looked at your photos - they're lovely :)
      Cathy x

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  9. Ooh! What a fabulous post! Such beautiful flowers... such amazing varieties... not mad at all for taking all the close-ups!

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    1. Thank you, I knew everyone in blogland would understand!
      Cathy x

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  10. Hi again, Cathy. I've nominated you for the '2 Good Reads' tag; hope that's OK. Find details on my blog. Have a good week. x

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    1. Thank you so much for your nomination! I've enjoyed taking part and nominating other blogs :)
      Cathy x

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  11. What a treat! I wish they'd open a branch in my neighborhood :-)
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Yes, it seems that they're the only one in the UK so far - not sure about the rest of the world!
      Cathy x

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  12. Just popped over from Tales from the Riverbank - what a lovely post. Such beautiful colours. I couldn't pick a favourite either - just love tulips:)

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    1. Hi Sandra, it's nice to meet you :) They are glorious, aren't they?
      Cathy x

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  13. Amazing pics! I love, love, love tulips! I really enjoyed them in Amsterdam and hope to have a garden with lots of colorful ones one day. :)

    Take care
    Anne (Crochet Between Worlds)

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    1. Thank you! I can imagine that they must be wonderful in Holland. I hope you get your garden soon :)
      Cathy x

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  14. What lovely tulips: I remember reading that article and thinking what a lovely place. How nice you love close by! I had peach tulips in my wedding bouquet and will always have a soft spot for tulips!
    Jenn

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  15. Hi Jenn - yes, we are lucky to live so close! Your bouquet sounds really pretty and unusual with peach tulips in it :)
    Cathy x

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  16. What a fabulous idea, pick your own tulips, and so many gorgeous colours. In my next garden I am going to plant lots of them, I tried in the last garden, they became squirrel fodder :( your photographs are beautiful :)

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    1. Hello there - thank you for dropping by! It's a shame you lost your bulbs. I wish you luck with planting them in your next garden. They are such a splash of colour in spring, I try to plant a few every year :)
      Cathy x

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