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